What am I to You?
by Scream to the Stars
Summary: And so we stand here, two of the same, and yet incredibly different. Who are you to me, and what am I to you?
1. Chapter 1

_There's an Angel in his head_

_And she seems to be crying_

_Little boy, run away_

_Get out while you still can_

_And love while you may_

He woke with a start from the dream he'd been having for months. The same pink haired angel plagued his dreams, staying with him throughout the day after. The flashes of pink and sparse green eyes hovered around the corners of his vision, teasing him. Knowing, but never seeing. He grunted and reached over to his bedside table, grasping a few pills and downing them with some water he kept on hand.

"Boys! Get up!" he heard his sister's voice downstairs. He sighed and pulled himself out of bed, raking a hand through his messy red hair. He took a look in the mirror and shrugged. He didn't care to brush it. It was going to be a tangled mess in a few hours anyway. He had a habit of running his hands through his hair. If it wasn't tangled in the morning, it was by noon. "Hello? Did you hear me?" She was banging on the door now, fraying his nerves. He whipped open the door.

"Hm." Brushing past her, he didn't catch the look of relief on her face. He grabbed his bag and his keys and was out the door in seconds, opting to find himself at school rather than suffer through a breakfast with her. He didn't eat much and didn't care to eat much. He liked to keep to himself and get through the strenuous days of his life. He popped another pill.

Everyone knew about his pill popping. They knew that he cut and did some of the drugs hidden on the darker side of things, but they never made any move to stop him. He figured since they didn't care enough to stop him, he didn't care enough to stop himself. He parked his car and stared out at the school grounds, unwilling to leave the safety of his vehicle just yet. He didn't know what dangers lay ahead in the outside world, and he wasn't particularly keen on finding out.

"Gaara?" there was a tapping on his window and he scowled as he rolled it down. A hyperactive blonde stood outside, leaning down to see inside his car. A huge grin split his face when he saw the redhead. "Hey, I didn't think I'd catch you this early!" Gaara suppressed the urge to groan. Naruto was always loud and obnoxious. Gaara couldn't seem to handle him this early in the morning, even if at all on a good day. "Come on, there's a new girl!"

"Why do I care?" Naruto was the only one that wouldn't get grunts and one word answers from him. That's what categorized them as friends. Gaara seemed to be able to deal with him the easiest and Naruto seemed to be able to quell his anger most of the time. Gaara didn't want to let him know that maybe it was the massive dose of pills he had to take to deal with him, but crushing Naruto's spirit really wasn't worth it.

"Well I'm trying to help you get more friends, that's why you should care. Come on, she doesn't know anything about you, it won't be that bad!" Gaara squeezed his eyes shut. He figured Naruto was trying to get him more involved with people so he might find a girlfriend one day. Gaara didn't care to tell him that his life was coming to a short end very soon and there really wasn't a need for human interaction.

Oh, that's right. Gaara was making plans to kill himself the day of graduation and stem everyone's happiness that day. Maybe it was his morbid sense of vengeance he wanted to gain on everyone around him or maybe he just didn't want to deal with life any longer. His reasons blended together in his muddled mind, but he knew he wasn't going to back out. Three months, he was counting. Three months and no more dreams of a pink haired angel or an annoying blonde friend or a family that barely cared for him. Three months and then the eternal sleep he absolutely longed for.

"Fine," Gaara grunted, shoving the door open and standing beside Naruto. He stared at the blonde until he seemed to get the idea and led the way. Gaara didn't really like conversing with people this early in the morning, and there were a lot of people under the huge old oak tree. It was Naruto's usual hangout, he knew, but that didn't mean he liked it.

"Hey guys! I managed to pull Gaara out of the gutter!" Gaara wanted to flinch at Naruto's choice of words. He wasn't very good when it came to introducing people. Gaara just seemed like more of a thug now. He looked over the crowd of people sitting at the picnic table, people who weren't sure of what to say to him or how to talk to him. "Come on, Gaara, say hello!"

"Hm," he didn't feel like bending to Naruto's will at the moment. His sharp eyes flickered over the bodies at the table until they fell on the girl. Her glowing green eyes caught him off guard and the pink hair stunned him. He must be dreaming. She must be an illusion, he was thinking. She was the spitting image of the angel in his brain, the one that plagued his dreams and teased his waking hours.

"Oh, that's Sakura. She's the new girl!" Naruto was bouncing around and finally settled into a seat next to his girlfriend, Hinata. "She has the same class schedule as you do, so I thought you could show her around." Gaara tried not to groan. He didn't want to be stuck with a new girl. He didn't want to be her buddy throughout the day and show her where everything was. He wasn't good at that stuff.

"Naruto..." there was a warning tone to his speech. He didn't like when the blonde idiot signed him up for things he wasn't interested in doing. Showing people around wasn't high on his list. They usually tried to talk to him and get to know him and he wouldn't give them anything. Eventually they ran away like a dog with their tail between their legs.

"Oh, come on Gaara! Don't be such a sourpuss all the time. Just show her around a bit, will you?" Now Naruto was getting annoyed with him. He didn't get even remotely angry seventy-five percent of the time, but the twenty-five percent seemed to always be aimed in Gaara's direction. Gaara glared at his friend, who gave him one back and they began a staring contest.

"You know it's really okay," a soft, chiming voice from his left rang out. In his surprise, Gaara broke the glare with Naruto to stare down at the little female in front of him, who grinned sheepishly up at him. "I really don't want to put anyone out, I can manage." Something inside him jumped into his throat when he heard the girl talk. She was all soft curves and light. Light pink long-sleeved shirt, a white undershirt peeking through, and tan boot-cut pants; sparkling emerald eyes that caught his attention and held him.

"It's fine. Come," he started walking away, intending for the girl to follow. The almost silent table seemed to light up with chatter the moment he walked away and he wasn't really surprised. People were too nervous to talk around him, afraid they would say something that would get on his nerves and earn them a glare. Sakura fell in step beside him.

"Thank you," she said softly, her arm brushing his as she stared up at him. He flinched and pulled away, terrified of any touch. Sakura's eyes were hurt, but he didn't do anything to rectify the situation. They walked in silence and he held the main door of the school open for her. She didn't say anything this time, only ducked under his arm and waited for him in the atrium.

"This way," he grunted, turning down a hallway. She jogged slightly to keep up with him, noting how people systematically moved out of his way. It made for an easy walk, but she wondered why they did it. He didn't seem particularly scary, just angry and somewhat foreboding. That didn't make him a bad person. She wondered why everyone treated him like a pariah.

"Ummm..." she began softly, wondering what to say. She didn't know how to make conversation with him, he wasn't really giving her anything. Maybe she didn't have to say anything, but the silence was killing her. "How long have you lived around here?" she tried for the background approach, hoping her new girl antics would get the best of him.

"Hm," he grunted, not willing to answer. He spared a glance down at her, seeing the look of hurt in her eyes again. He told himself that he didn't care, but something tugged at him. He shouldn't go out of his way to alienate her. "My whole life," he finally supplied, unwilling to give her another reason to treat him the way everyone else did.

"Oh, wow. I don't think I've lived anywhere longer than a year," she said softly, staring down at her hands. He wondered what she was hiding and why she was trying to hide it. He turned towards a door and opened it for her, watching her duck under his arm again and wait for him inside the room.

Gaara brushed past her and took his usual seat in the back corner by the window. To his surprise, Sakura sat beside him, in the seat that was usually empty. People didn't sit next to him unless they were made to. He stared out the window, not really paying attention to the girl next to him. Until he felt tiny, gentle fingertips on his forearm. Surprised, he looked down to see her little hands on him, tracing the scars he'd put there himself.

"What are you doing?" he all but growled out. He didn't pull away, and his mind asked him why. She didn't answer at first, her soft fingertips tickling and teasing his skin. He found himself watching her with something akin to amazement in his eyes. Who would ever touch him like this and not flinch away at him?

"Why do you do it?" she asked softly, her chime of a voice all but inaudible. Gaara almost didn't hear her. He didn't know what to tell her to make it okay. He didn't know how to say it. He kept his silence and she didn't prod him, but her soft hands still traced the scars on his arms. The bell rang, but he didn't pull away. People filtered in from the hallways and they saw the two together, Sakura's hand still on his arm, and the room erupted into whispers.

"You should come sit with me," then were was a blonde girl standing in front of them, her blue eyes narrowed at them. "You shouldn't have to deal with the likes of _him,"_ she snapped at Gaara. Sakura looked up the girl, her big doe eyes confused.

"We were having a nice time," she said softly, fingertips still resting on his arm. Gaara didn't like the attention of the blonde girl, and was thinking of just telling Sakura to go so he wouldn't be caught up in it anymore. He still didn't flinch away from her touch, even when she subconsciously squeezed his wrist, either in anxiety or some sort of comfort, he didn't know.

"How can you have a nice time with him? You shouldn't be around him," the blonde sniffed and Sakura tilted her head to the side. Gaara watched her out of the corner of his eye. She seemed so innocent and naïve. Something in his chest lurched and he could see the angel from his dreams. It melted his chest and he wanted to grab her hand. Gaara wasn't one to submit to urges, though, and he kept his eyes carefully trained forward and arm unresponsive underneath the girl's touch.

"Can you leave us alone now?" her voice was still soft, but there was an edge to it, like she didn't want to talk to the blonde anymore. Gaara spared a glance at her and noticed her eyes weren't wide and doe-like anymore. They were a sharp, irritated green. Sakura glared the girl down, waiting for her to move or to answer, the latter of which she didn't seem like she wanted to deal with.

"Why you—do you even know who I am?!"

"Do I care?" Sakura smiled sweetly, squeezing Gaara's arm subconsciously again. Gaara was astounded. How did she go from innocent and naïve in one moment to angry and foreboding the next? He felt a surge of something else in his body now and it came on so strongly he coughed, finally moving his hand away from Sakura's to clutch at his chest, staring down at the desk in front of him. He was attuned to blocking his emotions out and it was weird to feel them when she was around and she wasn't even doing anything.

"Hey, hey are you okay?" Sakura turned towards him and brought her face precariously close to his, trying to find his eyes. One of her hands was on his back, rubbing slow circles, and the other was on his wrist, squeezing and trying to offer comfort. Gaara didn't meet her eyes, but he nodded and searched around for his bag. Leaning down, he popped a few pills in his mouth and swallowed them dry, hoping Sakura didn't notice.

"Well, if you want to hang around with him, guess we can't stop you. Have fun being the social outcast's girlfriend." The blonde gave them a dismissal wave and sauntered off. Sakura thought of yelling after her that she wasn't Gaara's girlfriend, but what good would it do to feed the fire? She turned back to the redhead to find he was alright, his eyes satiated now. She'd notice him swallow pills, but she couldn't judge.

"You okay?" she asked softly, watching him sit upright. She removed her hands from him, somewhat startled that she had touched him. He didn't seem to want to be touched and she didn't know what possessed her to lay her hands on him like she would her well-known friends. She blushed and turned to face forward, hoping to hide it. Gaara didn't react. She felt like he was too placated to really care what was going on at the moment. His arm was on the table again and she rested her fingertips over his wrist. He stared down at their connection, but didn't flinch or pull away.

"Fine. Startled."

"Why?" she asked, staring down at her hand, tracing those scars again. She still wanted to know why he did it. She couldn't explain why she wanted to know.

"Hm," he didn't know the answer himself. He'd swallowed one too many pills and his mind was fuzzy, barely able to react to the world around him. He liked it this way. It was a nice way to be in his everyday life. It didn't help for social interaction, though. Sakura didn't seem to mind. She kept staring at his arm, intent on teasing and tickling his skin with her soft fingertips.

Sakura had dragged him to sit with the others at lunch.

He didn't know what made him do it, really. He didn't particularly want to sit with the others at the table, knowing they would only sit there in uncomfortable silence, afraid to speak around him lest they say something wrong, but when Sakura asked him to join them, her big doe eyes pleading and already assuming he'd say yes, he couldn't just walk away. He now found himself next to her, staring silently at the table, wondering when the torture was going to be over.

"Aren't you hungry?" Sakura asked, turning her attention to him. She'd been chatting away with someone near them, though he hadn't been listening in on their conversation. He glanced over at her, holding her gaze for perhaps the first time that day and shook his head minutely. She wrinkled her brow in worry. "Why not?"

"Don't eat much," he grunted.

"Oh, hey, I see that the social outcast got dragged out in the sun. Are you burning yet?" the blonde was back and Gaara resisted the urge to punch her. Sakura tensed beside him, her fingers curling into fists, knuckles turning white. Gaara saw and assumed that the blonde annoyed her more than she had let on earlier. "I mean, since you're a vampire and all, I didn't think you'd ever be in the sunlight.

"Ino, no one wants you here." A boy from down the table spoke. His obsidian eyes were hooded by a heavy blanket of dark hair and when he turned his face towards the blonde, they were cold and black. "Why don't you take your little clones and go make fun of Gaara somewhere where we don't have to hear it." Sakura looked at Gaara, worried the boy's sharp words insulted him somehow, but the red head still sat there, as impassive as ever, staring down at the table and wishing the blonde would just leave him alone for a little while.

"Oh no, I came over here for Sakura." Sakura didn't perk up at this. Instead, there was a sour expression on her face, like she'd just heard that her best friend had come out behind her and stolen her boyfriend. Her hands clenched and she slightly winced, her fingernails cutting into her palm. Gaara watched her, but didn't say a word.

"What do you want with me?" The conversation was now pulling the attention of other people at the table and Gaara wished that he could simply leave and have the attention off of Sakura and himself. He found himself reaching under the table and nudging her leg with his hand until she placed hers over his. He squeezed, tightly, trying to show her how uncomfortable he was. He didn't know any other way to express it.

"Wondering if you're done with the outcast yet so you can come and join us." Sakura was thoroughly disgusted by the blonde girl. The way she talked about someone right in front of their face, lacking the decency to even acknowledge their presence as a person. She wished the girl would stop annoying her.

"Can you leave?" Sakura resorted to the tactic that she'd used earlier to make the girl go away. Since it worked the last time it might work again. Sakura wasn't one to be short with people, but she figured she could make an exception this time.

"Don't you want to sit with the popular people? What about you Sasuke? Won't you come sit with us and bring Sakura along with you?" When Ino had turned to the dark haired boy, her voice had risen up an octave and turned terribly whiny and even more annoying than Gaara could ever have thought a girl could sound like. He recoiled slightly, wishing to get more distance between them. He couldn't without ending up in Sakura's lap, though, so he kept his face carefully schooled.

"Can you leave?" Sasuke didn't even look up from the book he'd been reading the entire time. He'd heard what Sakura had said and had taken the words from her mouth, hoping they would make the blonde go away. The rest of the table was silent, watching for the reaction from Ino, no doubt to be hilarious and undignified.

"Oh, so you've been here for a day and you already have all the men wrapped around your finger? How busy can one girl get?" Ino sneered at Sakura, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting her lip out in a childlike way. In an instant she was surrounded by males, anger twisting their handsome features.

"Go." Gaara had been the first to stand and get into her face. He was far more intimidating than Naruto and the other male that had risen, though he was probably on the same page as Sasuke when he was angry. His arms were crossed and they stood, almost touching, his stark green eyes staring into hers, daring to disobey the order he'd growled at her.

"She's much more likable than you are, Ino, just go," Sasuke put in, standing a few inches behind Gaara in much the same manor, his eyes hard and cold.

"Yeah. And even if she does have us wrapped around her finger, it isn't because she had sex with us like you would just to earn our attention," Gaara was almost startled to hear such a thing come out of Naruto's mouth. He never uttered a single bad remark, not ever since Gaara had known him and he'd known the idiot for a very long time. He didn't let his surprise show, however, choosing to keep the staring contest with Ino.

"Fine," Ino finally began to walk away. "But, you know, I've never seen the outcast wrapped around anyone's finger. There must be something going on there." The boys' glares darkened as they watched the girl leave, their arms still folded tightly across their bodies. Gaara was the first one to sit back down, biting back a groan at the mess he managed to get himself into because of this girl with the pink hair.

"Thank you," Sakura whispered, her face a bright red. She hadn't expected them to stand up for her, since they just met her. She stared down at her hands, but Gaara didn't react. He sat silently, staring at the table top. He felt something touch his hand and he looked over to Sakura offering him a piece of her sandwich. Gaara stared at her, face impassive, as she still tried to offer the small bit of food to him. He sighed and took it, popping it into his mouth. He didn't know what made him give in to the small girl, he just found he couldn't say no.

"It wasn't any problem. Really." Gaara didn't take kindly to people thinking they owed him when they most certainly didn't. She didn't answer, simply stared at her food and refused to look up. She was scared, she supposed, of what she might find in his eyes. She wasn't one to back down from a fight, but he had looked downright dangerous and ready to break someone's neck if they crossed him. She didn't want to be that someone.

"I, um, better get to class, huh?" she asked, trying to sound cheerful with all of her might. Gaara only nodded silently, standing with her. She looked up at him. "Oh, you don't have to you know." Gaara only shook his head and Sakura took a deep breath, turning to the side and letting him lead the way. He was almost surprised she was such a pushover. Maybe it wasn't a surprise. Maybe he simply expected his angel to be a tough hellion.

"You still don't know where everything is. Do you really want to get lost?" Gaara asked, a little smirk on his face. Sakura giggled and caught up with him, slapping him in the arm. She'd really warmed up to him and he to her. She didn't seem to mind, though, and kept along like she usually did, glued to his left side.

"You know Ino's just a big asshole, right? You're not a social outcast," Sakura was whispering in the back of the classroom with Gaara, though the class hadn't started and there weren't any other students in the room. Gaara figured she didn't want the teacher to hear her say the word 'asshole,' and so kept her voice low.

"Nah, it's ok. I am. It's just how I like to spend my time. I don't like being around people, that's all." Sakura had noticed he had started talking to her a little more throughout the day, finally letting out sentences that contained more than three syllables. She didn't know why he had the sudden change in heart, but she decided she didn't care and he could keep his reasons to himself.

"Well you won't be alone anymore," her glowing, smiling face was in front of his now and Gaara couldn't help but simply stare back at her. Maybe the dreams weren't just dreams. They were leading him here, to this very moment with this very girl, the exact image. He didn't know how to react to everything that was going through his mind all at once. It was almost too much emotion and feeling to handle. He clutched his head and pulled at his hair. "Hey, hey are you okay?" The angel's voice was threading through the fault lines and he listened to her soothing chime.

"Yeah. Sorry. Headache." Sakura wanted to laugh as much as she wanted to let out a sigh of despair. He was back to the short answers and she wasn't so sure she wanted that at the moment. She simply shook her head and looked down at the desk, tracing patterns from old pencil scribbles people left behind.

"Hey can you do me a favor after school?" Sakura said abruptly, scaring the living daylights out of the man next to her. He started and looked up at her, slightly miffed that she was able to do so. No one was able to startle him, he was surprisingly good at being pretty nonchalant about most, if not all things. After he finally got over his shock, he spoke.

"What do you need?"

"Well it looks like it's going to rain later and I really don't want to be caught in it. Would you mind driving me home?" Her voice was soft, timid, and she was scared he would say no. Gaara stared at her, watching her carefully, before he nodded. Sakura's face lit up and she threw her arms around him without even thinking about it. "Oh my goodness, thank you so much!"

"Um, please let me go," Gaara was embarrassed. More than embarrassed. He hadn't actually ever had a hug before. Except from his sister. Those were infrequent on occasion and weren't exactly hugs. More like tackles. He believed his sister just got overexcited about a lot of things. He was unsure of what to do. The girl had wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his, but he wasn't reacting.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Sakura quickly disentangled herself from him and blushed a furious shade of red. Gaara didn't look at her. He was afraid that, if he did, he wouldn't be able to look away. She was beautiful, achingly so. Before the week would be out there would be guys crawling after her.

"It's fine," he grunted. The class started and all was silent again.

Gaara understood why she'd asked for the ride home. It was quite a far walk to her residence. Halfway to her home it had begun to rain and he was quite glad he'd given her a ride. She would have been stuck in the rain for hours and he would have no one to blame but himself when she came up sick the next day.

"Thank you, so much," Sakura whispered, her hand on the window. She was watching the rain with something akin to fear in her eyes, but Gaara didn't really think twice about it. He followed her directions and found himself outside a shabby little shack on the edge of town. It was morbid. The shingles were falling off the roof and the siding was being slowly stripped away by the wind. It leaned to one side like part of the foundation was crumbling and all of the windows seemed to be crooked. Gaara was confused. He'd think Sakura would have belonged to a nice family.

"You want to come in for a bit? We can do some of our homework together." Instantly, Gaara thought no. He didn't want to hide out in this hovel for hours and do homework with her. "Please? My room isn't that bad, promise," Sakura looked at him pleadingly and he couldn't say no. He nodded.

Following her into the house, he saw that the inside was just as bad as the out. The living room was small and cramped, only enough space for a couch that had seen better days and an old television that seemed to be from the eighties, or even before. On the other side of the room was a kitchenette. The counters might have once been a shade of blue or lavender, but they stood stark and covered in grime and soot. The refrigerator looked like it barely worked and the stove looked like it hadn't been used since it'd been bought fifty years ago. He saw a hallway at the back of the large room with three doors and Sakura pulled him to the farthest one. He caught a hint of something that smelled burned and sweet.

"See? My area isn't that bad," Sakura said softly. Gaara slowly nodded, observing her room. It was painted a nice bright pink and the bed was dressed in white. It took up most of the room, though it was quite large so he guessed the girl didn't care all that much. The only other thing in the room was an old wooden desk. It didn't look like it was garbage picked, but like an antique. He crossed the room and touched his fingertips to the rich oak finish. "My grandmother gave me that in her will when she died. It's the only thing I've managed to hold onto for all these years," Sakura said softly, her lips barely moving.

"Ah," Gaara said, still touching the surface of the desk. Then, Sakura was beside him. She tugged on his hand and he willingly pulled away from the wood, allowed her to pull him to the bed and sit him down on it. She reached for her bag and took out a couple of books.

"Let's do some homework!" she giggled, spreading several sheets of paper haphazardly around her. Gaara watched her, but didn't reach for his own bag. Sakura caught on to this and she looked at him, confused. "Aren't you going to do it too, Gaara?"

"I don't do homework," he stated, staring at the wall. Sakura sighed.

"Come on, if you want to graduate!" she looked into his eyes and frowned. "Wait, you don't want to?" she said it like it was this huge thing because no one ever does it when it usually happens all the time. Gaara grunted and pushed himself off of her bed.

"Don't worry about it, just leave me alone," he called as he walked out her bedroom door. Sakura watched him go, a tear pricking at her eye. It was like her voice hadn't ever reached him in his dreams. Like her sudden appearance into his life didn't mean anything to him. Something inside her broke at this. All of her hard work was just going to waste.


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you want?" He supposed he could have been nicer, but he'd thought he'd gotten his point across the day before when he'd stormed out of her house. Glancing over at her, he noticed that she didn't look hurt at all, just completely focused on something.

"What'd you dream of last night?" Gaara stared at her. Where did that come from? It was completely out of the blue. He began walking again, the events of his dream the night before replaying in his head.

He'd been running. Running towards what, he didn't even know. When he finally stopped, he looked down and found the Angel. She lay, unmoving. Fear had risen in his throat and startled him awake. He couldn't sleep after he woke, no matter how many pills he popped.

"I don't remember," he muttered, pulling the door to the school open. Sakura ducked under his arm and continued walking with him. A part of him liked it—most people didn't try to be close to him so persistently. Another part of him absolutely hated it. Why'd she have to be so persistent?

"What are you doing after school?" Sakura seemed completely oblivious to everything. Her questions were so out of the blue and startled him every time. She seemed completely oblivious to the fact he really just didn't want her around; oblivious to how he acted and how he would take forever to answer her questions. He only sighed.

"Nothing."

"Do you want to come with me somewhere?" His immediate reaction was no. He looked over at her, though, and remembered the dream. It pulled on his chest and choked his breath and he couldn't bring himself to utter the simple word.

"Sure," he mumbled, holding their classroom door open for her. She slid inside and headed to the back of the classroom. Gaara sighed. Apparently he wasn't getting rid of her anytime soon. Sakura only smiled expectantly at him and he slowly went to join her. He sat down heavily beside her and she watched him. He couldn't tell what was going through her mind.

"At least it's a nice day out," she sighed happily, turning her body slightly to stare out the window. Gaara watched her out of the corner of his eye, trying not to make it too prominent that he was staring at her. She didn't seem to know that she affected him in such a way that he couldn't think. She stared out the window, a small smile on her face and he listened closely to find her humming a soft tune.

"What are you singing?" he asked after a few moments of listening to her. He found that he liked what she was singing and a part of him wanted to hear the words that went with it. His voice startled her out of the daydream-like state she'd been in and she looked over at him, slightly dazed, like she barely even heard what he said.

"Just a song from my childhood," she said softly, eyes still slightly dazed. He nodded and she turned back to the window, her soft humming reaching his ears across the small space between them. The song seemed to lull her into that dream-like state again, her hand under her chin and eyes far away in another universe.

They sat in complete silence for long minutes and Gaara found it out of place. The girl who likes to talk for hours, as he found out the day before, was completely silent save for the soft humming. It was awkward to hear nothing from her. He didn't know what to do with himself now that he was beside her and she wasn't saying a word.

"Why are you so quiet?" his own voice startled him as much as it seemed to startle her. She whipped her head around to see him, as though she didn't even know he was there in the first place. Maybe this was just how she happened to be in the morning and yesterday was an exception because it'd been her first day. He couldn't tell.

"I don't know. It seems like a quiet morning, that's all." She looked over to Gaara, eho seemed like he wasn't really paying attention to her. He'd only wanted her to answer and now that it was over with, his attention was now diverted. "What, do you miss it when I talk?" She was poking fun at him, he knew, but he couldn't help but pull a face.

"Wondering why you weren't talking, that's all." He didn't like people thinking he was getting attached to anyone, especially not someone so full of light like her. She was all soft smiles and glowing eyes, not especially the type of girl anyone would think he would get attached to. She was somewhat like Naruto. Far too cheery for him.

"Look guys! It's the most fucked up couple this year!" Sakura and Gaara collectively sighed. Did the girl literally have nothing better to do than make their lives as miserable as possible? Gaara seemed to almost growl under his breath, like a caged animal. Sakura looked curiously over at him, worry plaguing her eyes.

Sakura stayed silent as the blond girl and their backup made a beeline for the two of them. There had been a small groan she'd let out, but nothing more than that. Sakura just wanted to be left alone this morning. She'd gone to seek out Gaara for that reason alone. Gaara seemed to be plagued by loneliness and didn't seem to want to be bothered by people. She only wanted that. She prayed some mystical being would save her from Ino this morning.

"So what's up?" the girl now stood in front of them, smirk on her lips and hands on her hips. Sakura stared at her, though Gaara openly glared, his eyes a hard green. They both stared at the girl, silently willing for her to go away. Ino didn't seem to be able to read their body language as she still stood in front of them, that annoying smirk on her lips. She placed her hands on their desks and leaned in close to them. Gaara stared back at her impassively. Sakura's hands tightened into fists under the desk and her face looked incredibly tense. "Do you know what I heard?" the girl began in a nasty tone.

"Do I care?" Gaara grunted, his eyes reflected how very annoyed he felt. He really was angry and was trying his best to hold it all back. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave Ino a pointed look as if to say 'leave.' Ino didn't seem to get it.

"I heard that your mother," she nodded to Sakura, "is a crackhead and you and Gaara are drug buddies." At the stricked look on Sakura's face, Gaara stood, anger emanating off his form in tangent waves. Ino had already annoyed him with her existence, but this was a little too much. He could take the insults pointed at him, though he knew that Ino was really trying to get back at Sakura for threatening Ino's position of queen bee, however; he couldn't take the look on Sakura's face. Like she was about to cry.

"Leave." H forced his body in front of Ino's and glared down at her, arms crossed. Gaara looked about to slug the girl in front of him. Sakura couldn't watch, she had been too humiliated. Her face hid in her hair and Gaara heard the soft sounds of a whimper and he knew she was crying. This fact seemed to make his anger grow and his glare darken further. Ino stared up at him, terrified of how very angry he looked. Gaara began to take a step forward and she automatically moved back. "Go," he growled.

"F-fine, but kn-know that the r-rest of the s-school to know a-about this!" Ino gave a weak threat and scuttled back to her seat, the rest of the class that had filtered in watching her walk of shame. Whispers erupted around them as Gaara sat back down in his seat, completely aware that Sakura was still so tense and still crying softly. She didn't look at him or thank him and he didn't know what to do to calm her down. Panic seemed to rise in his throat as he faced forward, unknowing of what to do.

"Thank you," she finally muttered, wiping the tears from her eyes. Gaara grunted, acknowledging her words. She didn't know why she'd frozen up when Ino had mentioned her mother. She thought her mother had been a well-kept secret, at least for more than a day and a half. Sakura sighed and buried her face in her hands.

"Is it true?" She was startled when she heard Gaara's voice. She looked up at him before answering.

"Yeah." It was soft, barely audible.

"Are you?"

"No."

"Good." She didn't deserve that, he decided. He felt lighter, somehow that she wasn't caught up in it as well. He didn't count himself. He didn't care about himself.

"How about you?" She asked softly, though she already knew the answer.

He didn't answer, however.

* * *

During lunch, he was expected to be dragged off to the Oak Tree again, but Sakura was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged and sauntered elsewhere, to his usual lunchtime hiding spot. To his surprise, the girl was already there, absently staring at the grass. Without a word, he sat down beside her.

Sakura didn't say anything and he knew why. His brother and sister particularly hated it when anyone mentioned his drug problem so he could only imagine what Sakura felt. She twisted her fingers in her lap, not saying anything. He didn't prompt her like a normal person would, he just wasn't that type of person. He tore off part of the pizza he'd bought—he finally felt the urge to eat—and handed it to her. She stared at him as she accepted it, confusion evident in her eyes.

"It'll make you feel bette," he muttered, leaning back against the Sycamore he'd made into his hiding place. Sakura slowly tore it into smaller pieces and began to eat it, questioning him no further. He wondered why she tried to keep her mother a secret. It wasn't like anyone, except for Ino, cared. It just wasn't any of their business. He realized, though, that she could get taken away from her mother for that reason alone, and he understood.

"Thanks," she whispered, staring down at the grass again. They sat in silence for a while. Gaara decided she was good company even when she was her normal cheery self. He didn't expect to like anyone much, hell he could only barely stand Naruto, and that was on a good day. He simply sat beside her and let her be.

"Did you still want to go out later?" Gaara didn't realize the way he said it until after, but he couldn't bring himself to actually care. Sakura didn't seem to care much either because she simply nodded. "Can you tell me where we're going?" He asked out of a way to make conversation. He was trying to get her mind off the blonde girl laying ruin to her life. He didn't exactly know why he did it, though she seemed thankful for it.

"Just a nice place I found while I was walking the other day. I thought you might like it," she said. She turned to him and smiled, perhaps the first time all day. Something about it relaxed him and he felt more comfortable around her than anyone else in a very long time. He leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes.

"Hm," he was back to grunting at her. He figured that he made an effort to talk to her because she made such an effort to stick to his side like she was super-glued there. He felt bad that he'd stormed out of her house the day before and the emotion startled him. Since when did he care about other people's feelings?

He turned away from her and downed a few pills. He hadn't had any since that morning and he was beginning to feel the effects. He didn't like thinking too much. He knew Sakura noticed, but she didn't say anything and he didn't care. She left him be, not talking, as he began to soar on his high. He supposed he was good with it. She understood his feelings.

"We should go back in soon, she told him softly. She offered him a hand up, but he waved her off and rose. She followed him closely, but never touched him. She seemed rather afraid of touching him now. He tried to ignore that fact and forgetting it came easily to him. It always did when he took his pills.

"Is the bell about to ring?" he asked lowly, giving other people wary looks. He seemed like an animal to Sakura, ready to pounce on anyone who said anything to him, woe to them if they said the wrong thing. She only nodded to answer his question.

"Calm down," she whispered to him. She realized now why everyone was afraid of him. Most of the time he looked about ready to start hitting people who say the wrong thing. She supposed she was glad she didn't seem to be on the receiving end of his attitude towards most others. Naruto didn't seem to be either.

"No," he said gruffly, pushing past a group of girls in their way. He didn't want to let her know it was because of her. He didn't want to hear anything about them, her, or her mother. His pills made it easy to forget about things and easy to focus on others. He hated rumors about himself and he did his best to stomp them out before they became a problem.

"Ok," she conceded softly. If he wanted to be angry about it then so be it, she decided. Thankfully they made it to their classroom without too much happening, though Gaara did push a couple people out of his way. They made their way to their usual seats in one piece. No one harassed them this time, and Sakura had a feeling it was because Gaara looked so menacing. He didn't like he wanted to be fucked with.

"Hey Gaara!" Gaara suppressed the urge to groan. He always forgot Naruto was in the class after lunch. It seemed to be the highlight of Naruto's day and the lowlight of Gaara's. Naruto bounced up to Gaara, the largest smile on his face.

"What." Gaara didn't even try to be friendly. Sakura elbowed him in the ribs, but he didn't heed her warning. He stared up at Naruto, wishing he was anywhere but here. Sakura watched him openly, waiting for him to say something else.

"I heard that you and Sakura are dating now!" Sakura's mouth fell open and she turned a decidedly unnatural shade of red as she tried to say something. No sound came out of her mouth and she seemed to turn a darker shade in slight frustration.

"We aren't, Gaara supplied for her. Sakura seemed to be able to close her mouth after a few moments and regain her composure. She still blushed red, her fingers clasped together in her lap. Gaara didn't say anything more.

"Oh," Naruto's face fell. Then he turned angry. "Whoever stared that rumor's going to pay." Gaara was almost blown away with the force of how quickly Naruto's emotions came and went. He seemed intent on going out to find the culprit right then, but the bell rang. His face fell and he sat down with a huff and a scowl on his face.

"Who would start that rumor?" Sakura seemed to ask herself softly. Gaara looked over at her. She sighed and nodded. They bother knew it was Ino who had gone out and done it. Who else would be so concerned in their personal lives? Sakura wanted to groan. Did she cross some weird claim Ino had over Gaara and now she was paying the price?

"Naruto will take care of it," Gaara said absently. And he would. If there was anyone better at stomping out rumors and dishing out what people had coming to them, Gaara had yet to meet them. Gaara was certain Naruto would drag Sasuke along as well and it would take an even shorter amount of time. Sasuke didn't want to deal with Naruto's antics and brought them to a short end.

"You sure?" Sakura asked doubtfully. Gaara only nodded. The teacher was looking suspiciously in their direction and Gaara didn't feel like getting detention. He heard Sakura let out a, what he thought was, relieved sigh.

By the end of the day Naruto had kept his word. Whispers no longer followed Gaara and Sakura. Ino ran like a scolded puppy when she saw them. Sakura seemed extremely relieved and Gaara couldn't feel a thing. He had kept up a steady stream of mood stabilizers that day.

"Ready?" Sakura had found him on his way to his car and he nodded, unable to forget about their plans. He led the way to his car, where Sakura jumped into the passenger's seat. He could have laughed at her enthusiasm and excitement. He sat in the drivers' seat and turned on the car. He began driving towards the entrance, but didn't know what to do once he got there.

Sakura giggled and began directing him. She seemed to have forgotten that he didn't know where he was going. He found the route fairly easy, however, and he found he didn't have to prompt Sakura at all for the directions.

"Right here! Turn in and park," Sakura pointed to a small gravel parking lot surrounded by tall trees. Gaara obeyed and pulled in. Sakura seemed to bounce out of the car and looked down a seemingly random path. Gaara got out much more slowly and went to join her. The path was overgrown and rough in areas, but Sakura didn't seem to care. She grabbed his hand and tried to tell him to follow her without using words. Though initially shocked at the ease of how she touched him, he gave in and allowed her to pull him along.

"You can let go," Gaara was slightly uncomfortable. No one ever touched him and Sakura seemed fond of doing so. The way she touched him the day before when she'd been so worried about him, how she'd hugged him and now—when she held onto his hand like a little child, pulling him along in her excitement.

"I don't want to lose you," she even sounded like a child. Gaara shrugged. He couldn't exactly be upset, it was a valid reason. The path twisted and turned and he wondered how Sakur hadn't lost her way before. Most people would have if they had wandered into this place alone. "It should be up ahead," Sakura was still pulling him along and Gaara supposed he was lucky he hadn't tripped yet. Sakura was going at such a fast pace that it was surprising that neither of them had yet. Sakura simply seemed overexcited to show him this place he found and he had to say that her excitedness was seeping into him as well. He allowed himself to feel it as she tugged him along.

"Right here!" Sakura plunged from the path and came to the place she'd found yesterday. A small waterfall tumbled down jagged rocks to form a small pool at the bottom, maybe twenty feet across. Large boulders lined the edge and Sakura found her perch on one. Gaara climbed up the same one and sat beside her.

"It's nice here," Gaara took in the view and Sakura smiled. She liked this place. It seemed so calm and serene and she felt like she could escape anything and every thing here. She leaned back on her elbows and looked up at Gaara's profile. He seemed calm and relaxed as well and happiness welled up inside her, overtaking her chest. She was relieved that he liked it so much.

"Come on, let's go for a swim!" Sakura giggled. She stood and began shrugging off her clothes. Gaara watched, somewhat astounded. Sure he was no virgin, but he'd never met a girl so open with swimming in nothing but her undergarments. Out of anything that could have happened that day, Gaara hadn't expected to go swimming in his boxers with Sakura. Once she'd tugged herself out of everything but her bra and panties, she jumped into the crystalline water. "Come on, Gaara!" she was giggling.

"I don't think so." This wasn't his type of thing.

"Either you strip or I pull you in fully clothed," Sakura gave him a playful threat, though Gaara knew she was completely serious. She gave him a warning look and turned around, thinking him shy. Gaara sighed and rose, tugging off his shirt and pants. He slid into the water and Sakura turned around, giving him a shining smile. The water was warmer than he expected—it was the middle of spring after all—but he shrugged it off.

Sakura swam up to him and stood. The water was only about four and a half feet and he could see goosebumps rising on her arms from where she'd been under the water. She came closer to him and he began to feel uncomfortable.

"It isn't that bad Gaara," she said softly, looking up at him through her lashes. Gaara could only stare at her. Was she flirting with him? It certainly seemed like it. She crept closer and placed her hands on his shoulders. Her touch was featherlight and warmer than he expected, but he shivered nonetheless.

"What are you doing?" he asked, staring at her. She looked positively appealing, her hair plastered to her neck and skin glistening, but his aversion to people came to the forefront of his mind. He took a step back from her and she followed him. His hands rose to take hers off his shoulders, trying to push her away, but she didn't back off.

'Come on, Gaara, you know me,' she thought. She was so anxious to kiss him. This was why she was alive. To save him from killing himself. She knew everything about him. She just wanted to kiss him.

Gaara stopped when his back touched the boulders lining the small pond. He didn't know what to do. Her body was pressed against his and panic rose in his throat, threatening to overcome him. "Stop," his hands finally moved from hers and he placed them on her waist, pushing her back from him. Her eyes looked hurt, but Gaara couldn't fathom why. He was simply too uncomfortable with how close she was to him. Her hands still reached out as if still trying to touch him.

"Ok," she said, finally pulling away from him. She sank underneath the water so he couldn't see the disappointment and pain of rejection on her face. She never thought he would reject her like that. Maybe it was just too soon and she misjudged the reactions he was giving her.

When she came back up, he had moved and was standing in front of her. He stared down at her for long minutes and she stared back, confused. She couldn't tell what he wanted. They stood there for what seemed like forever, simply looking at each other.

Gaara made the first move. He crept forward slowly, almost uncertainly, until he was flush against her again. His arms drifted up to rest gently, hesitantly, against her hips. There was uncertainty and a certain scared look in his eyes, making them a soft, gentle green Sakura had never seen before. He leaned forward until his mouth connected with hers. It was a quick kiss, full of hesitation and confusion. It didn't last long, and when he pulled away his eyes were even more scared than before.

"It's okay," Sakura whispered. Gaara only shook his head and began to back away. Sakura lunged forward and latched onto his hand, preventing him from leaving her and the pool. He started and looked back at her, confused, so confused.

"Just..." Gaara didn't know what to say, as he often didn't. He found himself at a loss after that one simple word and he wished he knew what else to say to make all of this okay, to make it seem right.

"How did you feel?" Sakura tried, knowing he was at a complete loss for words. He stared at her, so many emotions whirling in his eyes—fear, confusion, an attraction he didn't know what to do with. She'd been right. He hadn't been ready. Perhaps he kissed her because he had a curiosity growing inside him at an alarming rate because of the dreams.

"Hm," his universal grunt for 'I don't know.' If Gaara didn't understand his own feelings then it really was too soon. Sakura knew this would be hard, but she was walking on eggshells at the moment, trying to make him understand and love her.

"How about you take me home now?" Sakura smiled softly, nervously, and began to pull herself out of the water. She sat on the boulder again and basked in the warm Spring sun, allowing it to dry her skin and undergarments. Gaara pulled himself up and sat beside her. If anything, he enjoyed feeling the sun on his skin. "Promise me we'll come here together again," Sakura looked over at him. He thought she didn't even look like she stole a kiss from him. He supposed it really didn't matter in the long run.

He nodded in answer to her question. He guessed that he had a somewhat nice time. If he came here alone or with someone else it would have been worse, so he didn't see the problem with coming back along with her.

"Thanks. Come on, she'll be worrying about me," Sakura began pulling her clothes on. As Gaara did the same, he wondered who 'she' was. It must be her mother, he decided. What other 'she' could Sakura mean?

Sakura led him back to the car, moving slower than before. He supposed that now they were going home, she was less excited and moreso sad. He waited for her to climb into his car before doing so himself.

"Do you want to come in real quick so I can give you gas money?" Sakura asked, taking a sidelong glance at him. He sighed and nodded, knowing she wouldn't give in easily. He slowly walked up to the dilapidated shack, hearing Sakura call for her mother as he walked in. He found Sakura in her room.

"...must not be home..." Sakura was muttering to herself as she rummaged through a drawer in her desk. Gaara smelled the sweet, acrid scent of used drug and heard heavy footfalls before he was knocked roughly backwards, finding himself in a niche behind the door. He peered through the crack in the door and saw a haggard woman. Sakura whimpered softly, nose scrunched and eyes shut tight. Gaara figured she hated the scent of burned and used drug. He was used to it. It didn't bother him much, but how close Sakura was to him did. She was pressed against him again and he could feel every contour of her body.

"She's gone," Gaara said in his usual monotonous voice. Sakura peered up at him from her hiding place against his body and blushed. She hadn't noticed how close she had pressed her body to his.

"Sorry, um," she was whispering, pulling away and rummaging throught that drawer again. "Here," she presented him with twenty dollars. He nodded to her and took his leave. For some reason, he couldn't help but keep his eyes on that raggedy old shack until he turned off the street.

* * *

"Where were you, Gaara?" his sister asked the moment he walked in the door. She wasn't necessarily worried about him, but it was incredibly odd that he hadn't been home ten minutes after school let out. Upon closer inspection, she found that he was also slightly damp.

"Out." Gaara attempted to make his way up the stairs, but his sister blocked his path. She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. Gaara growled under his breath. He really wasn't in the mood for the mind games today.

"Out with who?" Temari was trying to be murdered, he was sure of it. He absolutely hated sharing personal information with anyone, even with his family.

"Sakura."

"Who's Sakura?"

"The new girl," Gaara grumbled, having now given up trying to get past his sister. He now stood with his arms crossed and a pretty large scowl on his face.

"Have you been doing drugs with her?" At this point Gaara's mouth fell open in surprise and his scowl was replaced with a glare. Anger rolled off of him in waves. He didn't stop to think about why he was so upset that his sister would make this accusation, he just allowed his feelings to control him for once.

"No," he said forcefully. "She doesn't do _that_." He shoved his way past his sister and to his room, where he slammed his door rather loudly. He heard his sister stomp her way into the kitchen, but he didn't care if she was angry. He was seething and that made its way to the forefront of his mind. He didn't know why the insult at Sakura made him react so aggressively. He didn't know about the other feelings that Sakura caused, but he knew what anger was. He couldn't see Sakura as anything but an absolute angel.

Something about her caused all these unknown feelings and reactions and he wasn't so sure how to feel about it. He just knew the flashes of pink and green in his subconscious weren't meaningless and what had happened that day wouldn't end there.


	3. Chapter 3

Gaara saw her across the school grounds underneath the Oak Tree with the others. He didn't know how to approach her and so he kept walking without sparing another glance towards her. He didn't know what else to do.

She hadn't spoken to him for three weeks. Since they'd gone to the little waterfall and shared that kiss. He wouldn't ever admit it to anyone but himself, but he missed her. Those two days when she was super-glued to his side were the best two days of the past month. He didn't know how to get her back to that state when she wouldn't even look at him anymore. Sitting down in his usual seat, he looked out the window and tried to ignore everything else.

She didn't even sit next to him during their classes anymore. She would sit in the front, away from him, and the seat next to him was empty. He missed her and it was beginning to drive him crazy. She was the most interaction he'd had with anyone in a very long time and the fact he didn't want to punch her in the face eighty times a day gave him some sense of accomplishment. He could actually like a person.

He watched the rest of the students filter into the room and his eyes sought out Sakura, staying glued to her as she wandered in and didn't even spare a glance at him. She took a seat next to some other guy—Sai, the artist, Gaara knew. Gaara knew everyone. He just didn't like them knowing him. Something about her sitting beside that other guy got to him and annoyance itched at his insides.

"Sakura," Gaara didn't know what happened, but he was suddenly in front of the two and staring directly at the girl. She looked up at him, stunned, a question on her face. He didn't pay any attention to Sai, he didn't care about him. He only cared about the girl who had been ignoring him for the past three weeks. He knew he had time before the bell, but hell did he care if they missed part of the class as well.

"Um, yes?" she asked, her feelings not showing through. She was astounded that Gaara showed up. She had tried to give him space to figure out his feelings, but he just seemed angry now and she didn't know how to react to this new shade of Gaara.

"Come." he whirled around in the direction of the door and after a hasty apology to Sai, Sakura followed suit. She didn't really feel okay with how Gaara told her to follow him, but that was just how his personality worked. Gaara led her through several hallways until he finally stopped in a small alcove he made into one of his other rather infamous hiding places. If you couldn't find Gaara anywhere else, he was usually there.

"What do you want, Gaara?" Sakura tried to keep her voice soft, knowing he was somewhat annoyed. He looked frustrated and upset, though she couldn't tell why. He sat down and looked around agitatedly, not knowing what to say yet. He didn't know how to explain what he was feeling. "If you have nothing to say, I'd like to go back to class."

"Why have you been ignoring me?" He finally said, through gritted teeth. He didn't like talking to people like this. He liked it when they talked and he could all but ignore them. He tightened his hands in his lap and spared a glance up at Sakura, who stared down at him, emotions he couldn't name running through her eyes.

"I thought you didn't like me," she said softly. She didn't actually know what else to say. How could you just tell your target that he needed time to figure out his feelings about her? She sighed and looked away from Gaara, not wanting to keep eye contact with him. Gaara was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say now.

"Well..." Gaara didn't have the words for what he wanted to say. "I do." He didn't know what else to say. He figured that maybe it was what she wanted to hear and maybe it was true. He had been missing her completely glued to his side and her relentless talking. She made those two days easier and he wondered where she'd gone off to and why.

"You should have said," she said, softly again. Gaara could barely hear her. She was speaking so softly. "You didn't want to kiss me," her voice was barely above a whisper and Gaara sat there, stunned. Why would wanting to kiss her have anything to do with this?

He rose from his sitting position and walked towards her, stopping about a foot from her. "What does that have to do with anything?" he leaned forward and brushed his lips along hers. "It's just a kiss," he said, confused. What did kissing her have to do with anything?

"It's not the same. Why'd you kiss me? Because you wanted to or because you thought you had to?" Gaara was getting twisted and turned in her path of words and he was becoming confused. He didn't like it. It confused him. Didn't she want him to?

"I miss you," he admitted. He didn't think he would ever utter those words to anyone, not even his own sister or brother and it was a somewhat interesting experience for him to say it. He didn't know why he said it right after he kissed her and what she might think now. She looked at him, searching for something in his eyes, he didn't know what, and he didn't know if she'd find it. "Why'd you go away?" he asked. For those two days where everything was taken up by her, no matter how annoying he thought she was, everything was a little bit brighter and a little bit easier to deal with.

"You didn't want me around." So she wasn't blind to how he acted around her. He thought she was just going along with it because she could. He didn't expect that she wasn't as oblivious as she acted. He should have known that the first day when she'd turned from sweet and innocent in one moment to full of hate and anger the next. He didn't know why he had just brushed it aside.

"I know," he said, looking down at the ground. He wished he could say something to make it okay and he wished he hadn't acted like a complete ass at the time. He couldn't help it. He always acted like a complete ass. It kept people away from him, including his Angel, it seemed. He never thought it really affected her. "Help me," he whispered at the ground, unwilling to meet her eyes.

"Help you what?" Sakura was curious now. He never sounded like this. He was always a stone, hard to break and unwilling to give. She stepped closer to him, closing the space between them to lift his hair out of his eyes and look into them. He unwillingly looked back, his eyes so scared of trusting anyone.

"I don't know," there was such anguish in his voice. He didn't have a name to give the emotions whirling inside him and he didn't know how to tell her. Sakura seemed to know. Her hand was on the side of his face now as she stared into her eyes and he knew she understood everything that was suffocating him.

He leaned forward, this time because he knew she didn't expect it and because it wasn't expected of him. He brushed his lips along hers and she kissed him back. It was slightly awkward, as before, his hands still beside him and their only other point of connection her hand on his cheek. Something about it calmed his insides as he pulled away. She smiled at him and he stared, trying to figure out why she did.

"Want to get out of here?" she gestured to the halls around here and Gaara gave her a look. She giggled. "What? Do you really want to be in school right now?" she asked, giggling. Gaara was somewhat astounded. Sure he skipped school, much more over that past couple weeks once he found out that Sakura had wanted nothing to do with him.

"Sure," he conceded. Sakura seemed to always know what he was thinking and it wasn't the worst thing. She offered him her hand and he looked down at it, like he didn't really know what to do. She realized he didn't. She was probably the first human interaction he'd had in the longest time, probably his entire life. Slowly, his hand reached up and clasped onto hers, holding onto her tightly.

They walked together. She didn't pull him along like she usually did when she'd grabbed his hand before. He was still somewhat uncomfortable, touching her. It was a new experience to get used to, that's for sure. She led him out a side door and they made their way around the school grounds to his car, where she hopped into the passenger seat. Gaara stared at her through the open door and she laughed.

"What?"

"I want you to drive," he handed her the keys. She looked down and back up at him, confused. "What?" he wasn't like her, he couldn't read the questions in other people's eyes.

"Why do you want me to drive?" she was giggling again and annoyance didn't bite at his insides. He liked being around her like no one else and he was willing himself to be around her without downing pills eighty-percent of the time.

"You always know where to go," he said simply, still standing by the door and waiting for her to rise out of the seat. She giggled again and finally got up. He took her place and she slid behind the steering wheel, adjusting the seat to her much smaller height. He watched her, silently, as she pulled out the parking lot and made her way somewhere he didn't even know. He barely left his house and barely knew the town in which he lived.

Gaara watched her as she maneuvered the streets she should barely know herself and pulled up to a rather large park he had never known was there. She parked and bounced out of the car, waiting for him at the front of the car. Gaara slowly got up and joined her, looking over the large expanse of fixed-up area and sighed. Sakura smiled.

"I like this park." Gaara realized Sakura liked to be near the water. The park was full of small ponds, small streams connecting them and a larger stream feeding into them, disappearing into the forest on the far side. Bridges connected little islands and Gaara thought it peaceful and knew that was why Sakura liked it. She began walking and Gaara subconsciously reached for her hand, like the last time they'd gone out together.

"It's nice," Gaara agreed with her earlier statement.

"Why do you pop pills like that?" she asked softly, looking up at the too-blue sky above them. Gaara watched her profile, unknowing of how to answer her. She didn't know he was suicidal and she didn't know he did other drugs that would completely blow her out of the water. He took a few moments to find the words to explain it.

"It helps." After long moments of silence, he finally found two words that would help him explain it to her. She took a glance at him and sighed, wondering how that could possibly help him. His grip on her hand tightened as he tried to find more words. "...deal with everything."

"Oh," she said softly, staring at the ground as they walked. She led him to a bench and sat down with him. Their hands were still connected and Sakura stared down at it, wondering how she got this far. It seemed impossible that far away day three weeks ago, and now he was openly touching her.

"There are better ways to deal with everything," she said softly, closing her eyes and efficiently cutting off the sight of their hands. She didn't know how to say it. How to make him understand that it wasn't the way. She wanted to save him, but she didn't think it would be so difficult. She seemed to do everything wrong. She felt herself begin to shake and a tear slip past her eye. Why couldn't she do anything right when it came to Gaara?

"Why are you crying?" Gaara asked, staring at her. He'd felt her shake and then she was crying and he couldn't understand why. She seemed fine a moment ago. Something welled up inside him and he could put a word to it. He was worrying about her. That panic that rose in his throat and threatened to choke him. Something about her crying made him angry too. He didn't know what it was or why she was crying, but he wanted to make it stop.

"I don't want you to hurt yourself," Sakura said softly. Gaara watched her, not knowing what to do now. He didn't expect her to say something like that. His hand tightened over hers, trying to find those words again. He never seemed to be at a loss around anyone but Sakura. Perhaps it was because she was so different from everyone else and it scared him somewhat, but it intrigued him as well.

"It's too late," he finally said.

"This says it isn't," Sakura held up their hands up in front of Gaara's eyes and he couldn't do anything but stare at her. How could she come back so quickly with words that bit him and whirled his insides into a disaster zone? She stared at him, her gaze focused and going right through him. Gaara couldn't bring himself to say anything else. He didn't know what else to say now. He'd been planning his suicide before he'd even began having dreams about this pink haired Angel and now he didn't think he could give up on it now. He yearned for it and wanted it.

"There are things you don't understand," he said softly, staring out at the pond in front of them. This place was too serene for this conversation. Sakura looked over at him, but he tried to ignore the gaze on his face.

"Then make me understand."

"I can't."

"You can't or you don't want to?" Sakura leaned against his side and closed her eyes. She seemed like she was going to sleep. "Do you do anything else besides the pills?" he knew the question was coming, but he wasn't ready for it nonetheless. He wasn't going to lie to her and he knew it already.

"Yeah."

"Like what?" she didn't torture him by looking at him. She kept her eyes closed and her body relaxed as she asked, her hand still in his. He didn't know why holding her hand was so very important to him but it calmed him like no other person's touch. He didn't want to disclose entirely what he really did, in case her mother did the same.

"Anything that gives me a high," he said softly.

"Mom's the same way." Even when he tried to be careful about a subject he fucked it all up. Sakura was still relaxed against him, so he figured he didn't go completely out of line. He still felt rather terrible, however, and wished that he could have said something else. What that something else was, he didn't know. "I wish that you wouldn't."

"I think a lot of people do."

"Then why not stop?" Something about how calm she was about this entire thing upset him. Maybe if she yelled at him, got angry and started hitting him would make him feel a little better, but she was handling it so calmly, like the fact he did anything to get high didn't even upset her.

"No one cares enough to stop me, so why should I care enough to stop?" he asked absently, speaking the words that were on his mind more often than not. Sakura sighed and didn't say anything else for a while, her hand brushing against his side. She seemed to like touching him and since he initiated the touch in the first place he couldn't pull away or tell her to stop.

Sakura didn't have the words to explain to him. For once in her life she was completely speechless and didn't know what to say. She sat in silence, hoping he'd come up with something to say for once. It wasn't like the silence was uncomfortable, she just felt uneasy when she couldn't find something to say.

"It's okay," he said softly. "It'll be okay in the end." He didn't have anything else to say, even though he knew he probably just tipped Sakura off to his suicidal thoughts. She'd perked up when he said it and he knew.

"Don't tell me..."

"Don't ask about what you don't want to know," he said, dismissing her quickly. She stared up at him now, worry only too evident in her eyes. She didn't know how to make it okay anymore. She knew, all along, that he was completely and totally invested in killing himself, but she'd never heard him say it before. It caused a new feeling of terror to tear her chest apart, to hear him admit it like that, and she still couldn't find the words to say, even though she knew this could be the only time she ever talked to him like this.

"But Gaara," she shifted herself up and stared at him. "That can't be the right way to go."

"Who cares if it's the right way?" he was angry now. Angry at himself, angry at her, angry at life, he couldn't quite tell. He wished that he had his pills, but he left them in his car and he was feeling the effects. He didn't like this, all these tumultuous feelings in his body, tearing him apart. He pulled away from her and stood up to face her. "Who cares if it's the right way?! Who cares if I want to and who cares what happens to me?!" he yelled at her, so loudly that his voice echoed throughout the little park. Sakura stood up even though she knew he was angry.

"Well I care. Why would I be here otherwise?" she asked softly, stepping towards him slightly, extending her hand to him. He pulled away from her when her fingertips were only a touch away.

"Because you haunt me and you won't leave me alone even when I'm sleeping?! I don't know!" That probably did it, he was too angry to realize. He was too angry to realize what he said and how he said it and what the consequences could be. He whirled around to find her eyes calm and fingertips still reaching out to him, trying to quell his anger.

"It's okay," she whispered, trying to reach out to him. He didn't let her touch him. He turned again and began pacing back and forth, trying to bleed his anger out of his body. He had no right to turn his anger out on her. She couldn't blame him, not really, but it was becoming difficult. She tried to smooth over what he'd said the moment before, hoping he forgot that he'd even said it. "Please, Gaara, it's okay," her voice was stronger now, like she'd gained more confidence.

"You just said it wasn't okay, pick one," he was turning his anger back on her now. He didn't know who she thought she was that she could just pass judgment on his life like that, but he wasn't enjoying it and it was, more or less, pissing him off even more. It was killing him how often her decision could change, like she'd never done this before.

"Gaara, it'll be alright. You've got to try, right?" she asked softly, trying to take a step forward. It looked like she was slowly navigating her way through an oncoming storm and she couldn't seem to see through the hale.

"I've been dealing with it," he said, his eyes still angry.

"Using drugs isn't dealing with it, it's adding to the problem," she said, her eyes showing anger for the first time. Gaara was surprised at the force of her words. He stopped pacing and stared at her as she slowly moved forward and finally managed to connect her fingertips to his cheek. He watched her as she moved towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a hug.

"I don't care if it's adding to the problem. It's dealing with it." He sounded like a stubborn child to her, but she didn't seem to care. She simply held him, the only thing she could think to do. She didn't know what else to say or what else to do to make him understand. All she could do was hold him and know that this was only the gateway. The pathway would be wrought with anger and tough decisions and she didn't think she was up for it anymore. She didn't know, but she had to tough it out. The penalties for failing were higher than anything.

"Why don't we go and get some lunch?" Sakura said softly, pulling away from him. Gaara sighed and nodded, knowing she only said it because there wasn't anything else to say at the moment. Maybe there would be more to say in the future, but he was tired and he wanted his pills. There was too much activity just in this morning. He needed to take something.

"Don't get angry with me," he said softly when they got back into the car. Sakura watched him reach for his bag and pull out a bottle. He downed a few pills from it and turned back to the front. She supposed she couldn't be angry with him, not yet. There was a long hard path ahead of him and she hoped he wanted to fix it now, or else that mental breakdown in the middle of a public park was all for nothing.

"I can't," she said softly. Gaara only nodded at her and began driving. She watched him, that worry still evident in her eyes. He hated it being there. He didn't like people's pity and he didn't like it when they worried over them. He silently made his way back to his home, where he knew his sister would be making lunch.

"Oh, hey Gaara. Why aren't you at school?" his sister looked moderately disappointed in him when he walked through the door, Sakura in tow. Gaara looked to Sakura, who challenged him to say something. She wanted him to. It was an encouraging glare, but a glare nonetheless. He wanted to chuckle, she was so strange.

"Sakura...was feeling a little sick, but I didn't want to take her home," Gaara lied easily, however it was true. If Sakura had really been feeling sick, he wouldn't have brought her home. He would have brought her to his sister, because she'd need watching over, something her mother wouldn't be able to do. There was some part of Gaara that knew he cared for the girl with the pink hair, he was just hellbent on denying it for now.

"Oh, why not?" his sister asked, her brow wrinkled.

"Oh, my mom's just not home a lot," Gaara looked over to see Sakura cough rather violently into her hand. He wondered if she really was sick and was very good at hiding it from him. He watched his sister rush forward and press her hand to Sakura's forehead. She rushed out and brought something back with a glass of water.

"You're burning up, here's some tylenol. Do you want any cold medicine I have that too," his sister was almost talking too fast for Gaara to keep up. His sister went into total mom-mode the moment anything sick walked through the door, may it be him, his brother, or even a puppy. His sister seemed to care too much for living things.

"I think tylenol will do just fine," Sakura smiled, downing it with a glass of water. She smiled at Gaara's sister. "Do you think I could sit down?"

"Oh yeah, no problem, I'm just making lunch. Go up to Gaara's room if you want, he's got cable up there," his sister seemed to dismiss the fact that she totally and completely just told Sakura to go to her brother's room, no matter the consequences. Gaara just shrugged and led the way up the stairs and to his room. He held open the door for her.

"How'd you do that?" Gaara asked, grabbing the remote from his dresser and turning on the television. He really was interested in how Sakura managed to act so sick so quickly. Sakura giggled and laid back on her bed, her symptoms seemingly disappeared.

"I've always managed to do it," she giggled again, laying back on his pillows, stretching her hands above her head. "It's a trick I learned when my mother got into trouble and I had to go get her. Got me out of school real quick," she didn't offer any other explanation and it got Gaara and herself out of a tight situation so he supposed he didn't mind. He sat beside her and made himself comfortable, though Sakura managed to turn in such a way that half her body was pressed against him, her head on his stomach.

"What do you want to watch?" Gaara was finding it substantially easier to talk to her. He supposed after the entire scene at school and in the park throughout the morning, he really didn't have a reason not to easily talk to her anymore.

"Don't care," she said softly, Her eyes were slowly closing and Gaara found himself sleepy as well. He watched herself falling asleep until her breathing turned slow and her head was nestled comfortably on his stomach. He had a feeling she hadn't been planning on watching any television in the first place.

He settled on something before he managed to fall asleep himself, though he found himself in a dream with that damned Angel anyway.

_She stood in the middle of a storm, reaching out to him, but unable to touch him. His feet moved of their own accord and brought him closer to her. Closer and closer until her hand was on his cheek, his skin burning where she touched him._

"_Little boy, run away_

_Run away while you still can_

_Don't hurt, don't die_

_Don't be shy"_

_ Opening his mouth, he tried desperately to say something to her, but no sound came from his throat, though he tried and tried. He wanted to ask her why she kept showing up in his dreams and why she thought he was so important, but she gave him a sad smile and dropped her hand._

Gaara started awake at the end of his dream, hearing his sister call his name. Looking down, he noticed Sakura was still sleeping peacefully, her mouth slightly open and hair framing her face. She looked like that angel right then and he wanted to wake her and ask her why, like he was still stuck in that dream, in that storm.

"Gaara?" Temari barged in through the door, as she often did when she thought he was sleeping. He gave her a sharp look and then turned his gaze down to Sakura, giving the sleeping girl a pointed look. "Ohh, well, come down when you're ready," she whispered softly, closing the door gently. Gaara leaned back into his pillows, picking up the remote to change the channel again. Whatever had been on wasn't interesting him.

He looked down at the girl and carefully placed his hand on her waist. She didn't wake, though she murmured a soft word he couldn't hear and pushed her face into his stomach, finding a more comfortable place to lay her head. He watched her, something blossoming in his chest he wasn't quite accustomed to. It left a most startling warmth and he raised his other hand to his chest as though he couldn't breathe.

Staring down at this utter and complete Angel in his arms, he knew he couldn't ever deny this girl anything. He'd gone to seek her out when she'd been ignoring him and had made him say things he couldn't tell anyone else. It was new to him and confusing. Her hand that he hadn't notice was near her mouth tightened and caught his shirt in her fingers, rolling into a fist. He wondered what she was dreaming about for her to react like that.

He tried his hand at calming her. He drew his hand up and down her side, attempting to be gentle for perhaps the first time in his life. It seemed to work as she murmured another soft word and her hand relaxed. He felt somewhat accomplished, that he'd calmed this girl down for perhaps the first time in his life. He hadn't managed to anything but lay waste to anything he touched.

He felt uncomfortable for a moment, his back being pressed into his headboard rather hard. He tried to adjust himself without waking her up, as he was probably the one that tired her out in the first place. She woke with a start even with his efforts and she looked up at him, blearily, yawning. He watched her without thinking much, though a rather unwanted thought flitted through his mind and he immediately flung it away without stopping to realize it.

"What's wrong?" she said softly.

"Uncomfortable," he said. He didn't want to get up yet. This ditch from school was the best one he'd had yet and he didn't want this moment with this girl in his bed to end. It was a perfect moment in his mind and he just didn't want to get up yet and face the world again. Maybe it was the pills talking. He tried to think of how many he took, but he couldn't remember. Sakura rose and moved off to the side.

"Get comfortable," they were talking in such hushed voices, Sakura felt like the moment hadn't been shattered yet. She was still quite tired from just waking up and she felt like she could go back to sleep in a moment. She had a feeling Gaara didn't want to get up else he'd tell her that lunch was ready or something of the like.

Gaara pushed himself down and rearranged his pillows so they supported his shoulders and head. Sakura crept forward and pressed herself along his body, laying her head in the area between his shoulder and his chest. She was asleep again within moments, leaving Gaara to try and figure out what to do with his arms. He didn't particularly make it a habit to lay with girls in his bed, so he didn't really know what to do when presented with the opportunity. He finally laid his hands on her waist. As before, she didn't wake, though she planted her head more snug against his shoulder.

Temari came into his room again and stopped at the scene before her. She never thought she'd see her little brother cuddling with a girl on his bed. She began moving after her initial shock died down and she placed a sandwich near him on the bed. She smiled at her brother, who didn't react, and silently left the room.

Gaara managed to easily eat what his sister brought him without waking Sakura. He found it easier than he expected and was glad that Sakura didn't wake. If there was one thing he didn't want to do, it was wake her up. She murmured a few words under her breath every now and again, but otherSud than that she stayed asleep. Gaara found himself watching her and couldn't figure out his fascination with her. He was just watching her sleep and she took all of his attention.

Suddenly, he heard a phone ring and Sakura sat straight up, leaning over Gaara and reaching for her bag. Gaara was slightly surprised at this point. He didn't expect her to wake that quickly. She answered her phone in what seemed to him like record time.

"Hello? Yeah...yeah, okay. I'll be there in a few," Sakura hung up the phone and hopped off of Gaara's bed. "Thanks for the nap, but I have to go," there was something in her voice, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"Do you need help?" he'd do anything for this girl, as he already realized.

"Um, no, I just have to go home and then, um, I have to..." Gaara was already up and grabbing his keys from his dresser where he dropped them earlier when he picked up the remote. Sakura watched him, a slight blush on her face as he headed towards the door. He turned back to her, a question in his eyes.

"You coming? Your house is on the other side of town and I don't know where your mother is, but you aren't walking there and back," he said, watching her. Shock riddled her face when she realized he found her out. He wanted to chuckle, but found himself holding it back, as he usually did. She nodded, speechless, and started towards the door.

"Temari, I'm taking Sakura home," he called, knowing she'd be worried if he didn't say. He heard something that sounded like an 'okay,' and he headed out the door, Sakura in tow. He handed the keys to her. At her questioning gaze, he shrugged. "You know the way better than I do." Sakura only nodded and got into his car.

"I'm sorry about this, it's just..." she started, distracted by trying to drive to finish.

"I know," he said softly, watching her. They were at her house soon enough and she left the car running to run inside. While he was waiting, he inspected her house again. It seemed to fall apart even more than the last time he'd seen it. He wished he could do something to help her, but he didn't know what.

Sakura ran back to the car and shoved it into gear. Gaara had a sneaking suspicion that she'd gotten another call and now it was worse. He didn't mind if she drove like a madwoman, his car wasn't that great and his father would probably get him a new one to shut him up. He watched her go at least twenty over the speed limit and she parked rather haphazardly in the parking lot of a sleazy club.

"You can stay here," Sakura said after she'd turned off the car. Gaara only shook his head and rose out of the car with her. She wasn't the most intimidating and he could help with that. He trailed after her as she threw open the door.

"Oh, it must be Jeanne's daughter, haven't you gotten prettier," a filthy, rather large, man stood against the bar. Sakura halted, though Gaara behind her seemed to give her some sort of courage, and she continued deeper into the club.

"I have your money, give her back," Sakura said, her voice like ice. Gaara crossed his arms and stood beside her, his eyes hard. He didn't think the man would like dealing with him much. Sakura handed him an envelope and the man looked through it before tossing it on the bar.

"I don't think that's enough honey," he grinned and Gaara saw that his teeth were yellow and half of them were missing. "Why don't me and your sugar daddy there go in the back and figure out how much I can settle for," he looked Sakura up and down, a predatory glint in his eyes, and Gaara stepped forward.

"I'm not her sugar daddy. And there's enough there. Take it and give her Jeanne," he glowered at the man, using every intimidation tactic he could ever think of using. The man seemed to get it and he finally took it and nodded over to the woman heaped over in the corner. Giving him one last glare, Gaara went over to the woman, Sakura following close behind. He lifted the woman in one arm and carried her out the door.

"Never go and get her again without me," he leaned against his car after he shoved her mother in the backseat and she looked at him with wide eyes. He didn't really mean to have it come out like a command and, for good measure, he added, "Please."

Sakura looked over at him. He was worried about her. She nodded silently and watched him put the key in the ignition and begin to drive. He couldn't believe that the disgusting, greasy man actually tried to make her have sex with him. And even to think that he was her sugar daddy. That was something new entirely. Sakura was silent on the way back to her house.

"How do you get the money to pay for her drug addiction?" he asked curiously, looking over at her.

"My mom won't stop, I've tried, so I started stealing my father's child support checks. They're about three thousand a month," Sakura said, a light blush on her cheeks. "He's really well off. I don't even know how..." she trailed off and Gaara knew what she was going to say. She didn't even know how the state thought it was a good idea to put her with her mother instead of her father. He pulled up to her house.

Turning off the car, he got out and pulled her mother out of the backseat. Sakura followed him closely, showing him where to put her. He placed her in her bed and Sakura pulled the covers up to her chin, looking down at her worriedly. Sighing, she drew away, closing the door on the way out. She walked Gaara back to the door.

"Remember. Don't go without me again," he said softly. Her insides wanted to melt at the little show of worry he had for her. She smiled and nodded. "And," he remembered earlier. He reached forward and placed his hands on her waist, pulling her close to him. She looked up at him. "I need your help," he said softly. He didn't want to end up like her mother. He didn't want his sister or his brother to come pick him up in a sleazy bar full of drug dealers that would take advantage of him. Sakura watched him with her wide, wide eyes as he leaned down and placed his mouth over hers. His latest dream was reverberating through his mind. "_Don't be shy" _he took that to mean to trust the real life angel he had in his arms. This kiss wasn't quick or full of uncertainty. He needed her help.

"Ok," she said softly when he pulled away. Gaara nodded at her and left. He sat in his car for long moments before finally driving home, his latest kiss ringing in his mid He couldn't believe he was coming to actually care for this girl.


	4. Chapter 4

**So I suppose I should put a warning that there is, in fact, a lemon in this chapter. Somewhat rape-like in the beginning. Hide yo virgin eyes.**

**Or not, hell do I care.**

**As for that one person that keeps reviewing (Cannot, for the life of me, remember your name. Also too lazy to look it up) I reaaaaally like your enthusiasm. It makes me smile and feel well-liked.**

* * *

"First things first," Sakura said as Gaara drove them both to school a day perhaps a week after his public outburst. "You really need to stop taking those pills," she reached for his bag and he watched her passively as she scouted out his many bottles and tucked them inside her own bag. He watched and found a loss at it. He didn't know what to do without those pills.

"Sakura..." his voice held warning. He'd tried to quit the pills at one point, but the withdrawal had been too much for him and he'd given in quickly. She looked over at him, biting her lip, and sighed. She didn't want to give in this easily, but maybe it was for the best.

"How about you ask me, if you need one," she said softly. "I won't let you take two or three at a time anymore, though, and much less than you normally take." Gaara found this incredibly difficult to take, but he didn't let it show. He let Sakura have it because he'd asked for her help and she was so willing to give it. He nodded. "How many did you take this morning?" she asked softly, looking at the four or five bottles he'd had hidden in his bag.

"Two," he answered truthfully. He always took two in the morning. Sakura rummaged in her bag for a moment and handed him a bottle. He looked down at it quickly, realizing it didn't have a label.

"They're the same size and everything, but half of it is a sugar pill. Eventually I want to give you full sugar pills. If you go through them too quickly I won't give you anymore," Sakura was warning him not to cross her. At this point, he'd parked and he looked over at her, watching her face for a moment. She stayed completely serious, not even a sliver of light passing behind her eyes. She was being hard on him, he knew, but he'd asked for it straight out.

"Okay." He didn't nod at her this time, knowing she wanted his full focus on her. She handed the little bottle to him and he took it hesitantly. She watched him as he pocketed it and nodded to her. Sighing, she pulled herself out of his car, but stopped a moment later. She leaned against the car and stared at him until he met her gaze. "What?"

"And tell me when you want to get high. I won't allow that," she said. It wasn't her usual soft voice, but a commanding tone he somewhat affiliated with his sister. That was okay. He simply nodded and gestured to the school in a way of asking whether she was ready to face their fate of books, classes, and more books.

"Where do you want to go this morning?" Gaara asked. He'd been showing her his various hideouts for the past week and she liked the quiet they found there. Sakura glanced over at the Oak Tree, where Naruto was seemingly dancing around, to the others' chagrin. She turned back to him, opening her mouth to say something, but he stopped her. He nodded towards the table. "Come on."

"Gaara, you don't have to—"

"You want to." Gaara trailed back to her and grasped her hand, tentatively pulling her, as she often did to him. He found that he was beginning to act something like her. When he was trying to get her to come with him somewhere, he reached for her hand and tried to tug her along. More often than not she would smile and go along with him. It was easier than trying to find an explanation to placate her and she seemed to know that.

"Okay, okay," she giggled. She began to walk and he went to let go of her hand, but she didn't let go of him. He was a little startled, that's true. Usually Sakura let go of his hand in public, as though she didn't know what to label how they acted together and she didn't want others to label them either. She looked up at him and smiled. He knew she was doing it for his benefit. She was trying to give him courage to deal with the others this morning.

"Hey Sakura!" Naruto immediately stopped dancing around when he saw her and bounced up to her, enveloping her in a hug. Gaara knew that was just how Naruto acted, but he couldn't help but feel annoyance itch at his insides, like the day Sakura had chosen to sit with Sai. It bothered him. What was this annoyance? He let out a soft growl that Naruto didn't seem to hear. Sakura looked up at him, worry instantly in her eyes and she bit her lip. Was he getting jealous? She couldn't tell. That stone-like appearance he often held seemed to get in her way more often than not.

"Hey," Sasuke greeted from his place. He wasn't one for acting like Naruto and it really was a wonder that they found themselves to be best friends. His eyes narrowed when he saw Sakura's hand was latched onto Gaara's. So they were going out then? He didn't credit much to Ino, but maybe he should after all.

"What's up, guys?" Sakura was her cheery self as she smiled at Sasuke, though Gaara was still feeling rather uneasy. Naruto managed to find himself a seat without dancing around again, which Sasuke was rather glad for. He didn't like watching Naruto's antics most of the time and wanted to stop them as soon as possible. Naruto, however, seemed to thrive on annoying him.

"The depressing war cry of the average student," someone yawned from down the table. Gaara turned his attention towards the voice. "Oh, hey, your Temari's brother, what's up?" the guy yawned again. Gaara wanted to wrinkle his nose. It was his sister's lazy ass boyfriend. He didn't care much for Shikamaru, but found him somewhat tolerable.

"Nothing," Gaara said quietly, looking away from him. Sakura let out a soft giggle and he stared down at her. She just rolled her eyes and pulled him to sit next to Hinata, where Naruto had probably been sitting before he decided to dance like a chicken.

"So are you guys a thing now?"

Of course it came from Sasuke. Sakura felt something of annoyance twinge at her insides for once. He just had to be so observant all the time. She could get by Naruto and Shikamaru and Hinata wouldn't say anything, but Sasuke seemed to want to push all of her buttons now.

"Why'd you think that?" Sakura asked, her faced pulled into a smile she didn't feel at that moment. Sure Sasuke didn't really annoy her, but she found that she got along with Naruto a hell of a lot better than she ever did the brooding guy.

"Well you seem to be connected by the hand." Gaara instantly tightened his hold on Sakura, daring her to let go. Sakura didn't know what to do now and Gaara wasn't going to make it any easier it seemed. Sure she wanted to say they were. How would Gaara feel about that, though? Sure, more often than not, she found herself connected to him by the hand and sure they'd shared a few kisses, but she didn't know if that meant she could simply lay claim over him.

"I just get nervous," Sakura tried to laugh it off, but it sounded fake to her ears. Sasuke shrugged and turned away, obviously disinterested now. Sakura didn't know what else to do without at least talking to Gaara first. His hand didn't relax, though. She idly wondered why.

"So," Hinata spoke up from beside her. Sakura turned her attention to the dark-haired girl, a smile on her face. "Do you think you'll go to the dance on Saturday?" Ah, yes, the annual Spring dance. Sakura had been asked by quite a few people, but she had declined them all. She didn't want to let Gaara figure that out, however, so she searched for something else to say.

"I don't know, depends on who asks me," she smiled again.

"Well, I'd like another girlfriend there. Naruto gets a little too excited for me and I'd like it if I could make an excuse to save myself from being dragged across the dance floor again," Hinata pulled a face and giggled. Sakura joined in with her. "So what do you think?" the girl looked so excited and Sakura didn't want to let her down, but she didn't know what to do.

"I'll be there with her," Gaara broke in quietly from Sakura's other side. Sakura instantly turned red and she couldn't help but smile up at him. He quirked his lips in an almost-smile back at her. She took it. She knew that it was probably the only thing she could get from him. She tilted her head to the side, a question in her eyes. She never expected Gaara to be the dance type of person.

"Oh really?! That's awesome," Hinata seemed happy, though, so Sakura couldn't really say anything. She abruptly got up.

"I'm going to go to class," she waved a goodbye to everyone and began walking away, Gaara joining her a few moments later. Her face still flushed red, she began walking more quickly, Gaara keeping a steady pace beside her. She ducked into their classroom and turned on him, feeling a slight warmth in her system from his outburst, but slight confusion as well.

"Since when do you want to go to a school dance," she inquired, a slight smile on her face. She wasn't being defensive, he knew, so he took no chance of being offensive. He merely shrugged.

"You want to."

"And?" Sakura patiently waited for the admission, wanting to hear it from him. He looked at her, wanting to know what she wanted to hear. He took a few moments, trying to remember how he'd felt when he'd said those words. He'd been...upset when he thought of someone else taking her. He just didn't know how to put those feelings into words. He decided that the straightforward way might work the best.

"I don't want you to go with anyone else."

He was being blatant, she knew. She knew that anyone else would have muttered that sentence and anyone else would be standing there with the brightest blush on their face, but he stood, as stoic as ever, staring at her and being completely honest. Something in her chest melted and she let herself smile openly at him.

"You're silly," she giggled, bouncing her way to their seats, waiting patiently for him to join him. He gave her a quizzical stare before moving to join her, wondering why she would call him silly and then giggle. He wasn't being silly, he was just being honest. Sakura sighed, "You could have just asked me, you know. I would have said yes."

"You wanted to go. What's there to ask?" he asked, turning his gaze to her. There was something endearing about the way he was so honest. It was like he didn't know how to deal with his emotions, but whatever she wanted he would be hellbent on doing it. He couldn't think of her doing something without him.

"But who said you want to?" Sakura asked, getting deep again.

"I'll do whatever you want to," he said simply. He didn't like being without her. She'd imprinted into his mind and he liked having her around. The thought of her going to a dance with someone else simply bit him and irritated him and he didn't want to allow it. She was his Angel and he wanted it to stay that way. He heard Sakura laugh again. "What?"

"You sound like a lovesick puppy, that's all."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let's go on a date."

"Okay."

Sakura laughed again. He didn't question it this time. She looked over at him and couldn't help but smile. He was so easy to read at this point. He liked her and didn't know how to show it. He wasn't denying it anymore, he wanted her around all the time and that was okay with her. She leaned against his side and he automatically lifted his arm to lay it across her shoulders. She noticed that he wouldn't touch anyone else, not even a handshake.

"So are you going to keep denying it?" Sakura looked up to see Ino standing in front of them and she held in a sigh. She didn't like that the girl kept getting into their personal business. "You sure look like a couple," the blond girl avoided getting too close, Gaara realized, and a smirk graced his lips. Sakura wanted to laugh at the show of dark humor.

"So what? I didn't think it was any of your business," Sakura shot back. Gaara leaned back in his chair, attempting to relax himself. If there was one person he couldn't stand for a few moments other than a coffee-ridden Naruto, it was Ino. He tried to keep his thoughts blank and ignore the girl, let Sakura deal with it, because he didn't want to disappoint her and ask for his pills.

"Your business is always mine," Ino gave her a snide smirk and Sakura's mouth fell open. There was knowledge in the blond girl's eyes and Sakura looked away from her in shame. She couldn't say anything now. Gaara's eyes shot open when he felt Sakura pull away from his side. He stood and faced the tyrant, his anger tangible. He didn't like when Sakura was threatened, although he'd been trying to ignore it. He didn't know what the girl said, but to cause that reaction from Sakura tipped him off. Ino flitted backwards like a scared cat.

"Back off," he snarled, blocking her view of the girl behind him. He didn't know why he felt this overwhelming surge of anger when he thought Sakura was being threatened. He only knew he acted on it when he wasn't high on those pills. He glared at the blonde, who had long lost her smirk. "Don't talk to her," he growled, taking a step towards Ino. He seemed like that caged animal again, ready to pounce on whatever was unlucky enough to encroach his personal space.

"You can't stop me," Ino tried that weak comeback again.

"I will if I have to," he warned darkly. Taking another step forward, he watched the girl skitter back again. "She's mine. Mess with her, mess with me." Maybe he didn't mean for it to come out that way, but he was too blinded by hatred and anger for this blond girl. Ino was intimidated, he knew, and he just wanted her to back the fuck off.

"Fine." Ino didn't have anything else to come back with. She skittered off to her seat with her two little cronies following her and Gaara returned to his seat. Without dwelling too much on it, he pushed his arm around Sakura's waist and brought her back to his side, glaring holes into the back of Ino's head. Why couldn't the annoying brat just leave her alone? He didn't know.

"I'm not yours," Sakura said softly. What a lie that was. She was bred specifically for him, so she could prove herself and save him. She tried to keep up the act without crumbling, knowing she'd met her Observer. They weren't supposed to intervene, just watch from a distance and report back to the higher-ups, but this particular Observer seemed like she was drunk on power. She probably made others before the pink-haired girl fail and now found it an entertaining game to try and make them fail.

"Yes, you are." Gaara didn't think twice about it. Sakura was his, there was no question. Perhaps it was because he could stand her for the longest time and perhaps it was because he could touch her without being afraid of who saw. He tried to search for the right words to make it okay, to smooth over her worries. He tried to work his brain and help her. "Girlfriend?" he let the word hang in the air, unknowing of how else to say it. He didn't know any other words to tack on to that one word.

"Okay," she said softly, still not looking at him. He only brought her closer to his side. He liked having his hands on her. It made that warm feeling blossom in his chest, the feeling he still didn't have words for, and he found it calming.

"Okay," he agreed with her softly.

* * *

"Do you want to go anywhere after school?" Sakura asked, leaning against his side as she ate her lunch, offering him some. He took it and ate it quickly, feeling much more hungry since he hadn't taken the pills once since that morning. He had a feeling it curbed his appetite. He'd found himself much more hungry now than he had in past days.

"Thought you wanted me to take you on a date," he answered, offering her some of his water. She took it gratefully and took a long drink from it.

"We can do that tomorrow."

"Come over for dinner," he said, taking another piece of her food. She let him, a small smile gracing her features. He'd been a little more pleasant since she'd take his pills from him. She felt like he took them so he didn't have to feel anything. She wanted to help him with that.

"Okay. Will your sister be okay with it?"

"My sister likes anything that has a vagina that walks through the door." He said it sourly and Sakura couldn't help but giggle.

"Do you mean she's a lesbian?"

"I mean she has no friends."

"That's a little mean."

"Not mean if it's true." His family didn't do well with reaching outside the family. It was easier to keep to themselves, away from everyone else. He had a feeling, because of last time, his sister wouldn't mind that Sakura came over. He leaned back against the Sycamore and Sakura laid her head in his lap, pushing her meal aside and pulling out a book.

"Shouldn't say that about your sister," she mumbled. He looked down at her, but she didn't look up at him, reading now. He only shook his head and placed his hand on her stomach, looking out across the school grounds. It was quiet here, and he liked enjoying it with Sakura. They often went there to eat lunch lately, neither of them wanting to deal with Naruto much.

"Where do you want to go?" he wasn't used to the silence with Sakura around. He found himself saying something more often than not and she always answered. They were as different as day and night and it was intriguing that they got along so well.

"What do you mean?" she asked absentmindedly, flipping a page in her book. She kept reading, keeping half a mind on what Gaara was saying.

"Tomorrow."

"I thought that was for you to figure out," she giggled and spared a look up at him, her face alight with her laughter. She only shook her head and turned back to her book. "I don't know. Want to go to a movie?"

"What kind?" he still wasn't much for talking, she figured out. He mostly liked to listen to her talk. It was confusing, but she couldn't stop him if he talked just to hear her.

"I don't know. What do you like?"

"I don't watch movies."

"Wow, Gaara, you really don't get out much, huh?" she giggled. He only grunted. She sat there and thought for a moment, not really paying much attention to her book now. She was trying to think what was out now that he might find entertaining. She sighed, not finding anything in her memory. "Why don't we look it up when we go to your house tonight?" she offered. "We'll decide then."

"Alright," he conceded. He didn't want those shining green eyes off of him. He searched for a way that he could make them turn back to them. "Sakura," he said suddenly, somewhat unknowing of why he said it.

"Hm?" she was beginning to think she wouldn't be able to get anything done around him. She couldn't even read without his voice interrupting her. She had a feeling he wanted her attention, all of it, but didn't quite know that, even though she was silent, because she was with him it should be enough.

"Look at me?" Smiling, she put down her book and shifted her body so she could look up at him comfortably. He stared into her eyes, completely silent and impassive. She wondered why. She opened her mouth to speak, but he shushed her. She gave him a puzzled look, but he didn't seem to understand, merely stared at her.

Then he was moving and he was kissing her and she was kissing him and she didn't know a better feeling. If he wanted to stare at her for hours just to kiss her, she was fine with that.

"Thanks?" she giggled once he pulled back. He seemed slightly dazed, like he didn't know what he just did. He'd just been entranced by her sparkling emerald eyes and then he was kissing her. He didn't even remember moving forward. He shrugged. Sakura looked down at her watch and sprang up.

"What?"

"We're going to be late, come on!" Sakura pulled him up and began to pull him inside the school. Naruto even beat them to the classroom when they came rushing in. He jumped out of his seat to greet them.

"Hey guys! Hinata said that you're going to the dance together! That's great!" the blond bundle of energy pranced towards them and Sakura laughed as he enveloped her into a hug. "I knew you'd be great together!" He laughed, a big boisterous laugh, and Sakura was somewhat glad that she wasn't Hinata. She didn't think she'd be able to deal with how loud Naruto always was.

"Yeah, I can't wait," she said breathlessly once Naruto let her out of his choke-hold. Maybe Hinata could deal without air for that long, but Sakura didn't have the lung span for that type of thing. She rather like Gaara's hesitant, gentle way he held her, like he didn't quite know the right way to hold her and didn't quite know if he'd break her or not. Naruto gave her a huge smile and opened his mouth to bellow something else, but the bell saved her from it.

"Talk to you later," she whispered, pulling Gaara to their seats. Gaara watched her sit down and turn to the front. He didn't really want to be here. He shrugged and sat down next to her, knowing she wouldn't ditch with him again, not only a week later. Sighing, he resigned himself to his fate.

* * *

"Oh, Sakura, you're back!" Temari was on them the moment they walked in the door and she lunged forward to tug Sakura into a hug. She drew back, looking at Gaara, and bit her lip. She seemed nervous, he decided, and he would like to know why.

"What's wrong?" he asked, moving subconsciously closer to Sakura. She looked up at him, somewhat confused. He never seemed this agitated. Nothing ever worried Gaara's sister and he wasn't keen on finding out what was wrong now. Temari looked nervously at Sakura, but deciding she probably wouldn't go anywhere since Gaara seemed so attached to her; she took a deep breath before talking.

"Dad's coming home tonight."

"Wonderful."

"He said he wanted to see you, Gaara," usually, when their father decided to finally show his face around the family home, Gaara was hidden away in his room, lighting up some form of heroin or, once, ecstatsy. He didn't like being sober around his father and his father knew it, but never seemed to care enough to actually point it out or want him to stop. He just pushed him and pushed him to take over the family company although his sister and brother were both older than he was and should have a crack at it first.

"What, to shove the family company down my throat again?" Gaara retorted angrily, shoving his hands through his hair, ruffling it and messing it up. He'd actually tried to look okay that day for Sakura. His appearance mattered to him when she was around for some reason and he decided not to fight it. He turned around and was about to strike the wall when he remembered who stood next to him.

"You know he only wants what's best for the family and you know Kankorou isn't the...best choice and I never understood politics. Come on, Gaara, he just thinks you're the best choice," Temari was pleading with him now and it wasn't exactly getting anywhere. There was a look of desperation on her face that was lost on Gaara, who was turned away from her. Sakura watched from the sidelines, her hand near her mouth as she watched Gaara with worried eyes.

"Yeah, what's best for the family is making me head of the company straight out of high school?" he said angrily to the wall. This had been what he'd been hiding from Sakura. The massive responsibility put over his head that no one his age could even begin to deal with. He shut his eyes tightly, willing himself away, willing himself to drown out his sister.

"Why can't you just listen to him?"

"In case you haven't noticed, he's not too great of a listener himself." Sakura wanted to giggle. Gaara had a sense of dry humor that was hard to laugh at, but once she got accustomed to it, she wanted to laugh at pretty much everything that came out of his mouth. Sighing, she prepared herself to intervene and hopefully put a stop to his anger.

"He wants to have dinner with you. Would you mind going with him?" Temari was starting to get angry herself. She did care that her father had decided to lay this massive weight on Gaara, but she couldn't understand why he couldn't man up and take it. She couldn't understand why he couldn't simply get over himself and try to make the best of it.

"Sakura?" he didn't think he could do this without her. She looked up at him, meeting his fire-laden eyes.

"Okay," she quietly agreed. Without another word, Gaara flew up the stairs. Sakura took a long look at Temari before she followed him, finding him in his room. He sat on the bed with his back to her, staring at a window blankly. He wished he could have his pills. He looked over to the nightstand, knowing they weren't there but wishing against hope they were. He felt the bed dip where Sakura sat down next to him. He looked over at her, but she didn't meet his gaze, her eyes flitting to different areas in his room. Sighing, she finally looked at him.

"Gaara, it's okay to be angry," she said softly. He didn't answer. He lunged forward and caught Sakura underneath his grasp, staring at her with all the anger in his body. All the anger and the hatred that wasn't really pointed at her, but at his father, at his family, and at his life. He leaned down and kissed her roughly, biting her lip. She squealed, but he didn't care.

"Gaara, please, that hurts," she whimpered as he bit her neck rather hard, not even taking time to smooth his tongue over it to quell the sting. She whimpered when his hands tightened on her wrists. He wanted one thing and he wanted it now and she wasn't so sure she could stop him. She bit her lip and tried to push against his hands, but he held on more tightly and pushed her down, holding her in place. He let out a deep growl. She was scared of him for once and she tried to struggle against his heavy body.

"Stop fighting," his voice came out low and rough and fear pierced Sakura's chest, turning her insides to ice. She hadn't ever seen Gaara like this and she realized that maybe he took the pills for a deeper reason and this was it. He lost control when he was angry. She let out a sharp cry of pain when he bit down on her neck hard enough to draw blood. He sucked at the wound to leave a mark as well and Sakura was already tired from trying to push him off of her.

"Please, stop Gaara," her voice cracked and she began crying. Her tears seemed to snap him out of whatever rage-induced haze he'd been under and he pulled back to stare at the tears slipping past her eyelids. He released her wrists and found that he'd left bruises. With startled eyes and shaking hands, he traced the deep bite mark he'd left on her neck.

"Fuck." He pulled away from her completely. "Fuck!" he sat on the edge of his bed and thrust his fingers into his hair, tugging and pulling furiously. He went from one sort of anger to the next. He couldn't believe he let it get the better of himself and control him. He couldn't look at Sakura. He was astounded when he felt the bed dip behind him and her arms embrace him. He wanted to push her off of him. This wasn't okay. He hurt her and she acted like it was nothing!

"Sakura—"

"Don't, shh, it's okay," she whispered. He felt her lean down and her soft lips brushed his neck. One of her hands wandered along his side and pushed up his shirt, brushing soft fingertips along his stomach in a featherlight touch. She knew he needed it as a way to let out his anger, and she accepted that. She was there for him to use however he wanted, she just hoped he wouldn't hurt her like that again.

"Sakura," she didn't quiet him this time. "I'm sorry, I just didn't realize," he was relaxing under her touch and her ministrations. She kissed her way down his neck and paused near his jugular, sucking. She seemed to know his sweet spot. He let out a soft growl, so much different from a few moments before. Her hands trailed higher and she pushed his shirt over his head, baring his chest.

"It's okay," she whispered when he turned to her. She looked at him with such kindness and understanding and then he was kissing her again. He held the back of her head and pushed her body against his, slowly laying her back down on his bed. He didn't cage her in this time, she realized. He was ashamed of himself and didn't want to hurt her further. She kissed him back, letting her hands trail up his chest and around his neck, resting there. She didn't ask for anything from him, not what he wanted from her.

Gaara let himself fall into the feeling of kissing her. She didn't seem to want to stop, not with what she started a minute before. His hands were at her sides, holding her and tugging her snugly against his body, finding the right place to fit himself. He wasn't new to sex. He hoped she wasn't either. He knew he was still angry and still upset and he didn't think he couldn't hold himself back.

"It's okay," she whispered again when he finally broke away. He leaned over her, staring into her eyes, searching for something he wasn't sure was there. She leaned up, tightening her arms around his neck and kissed him. He allowed himself to kiss her back, his hands drifting up her sides to pull her shirt over her head. She sighed when he went to work on her neck, smoothing his tongue over his previous actions, kissing and sucking gently on her skin, almost like he was trying to make up for hurting her so awfully. She let out a soft, almost not-there moan. Gaara attacked the spot again and received a pleased whimper from the girl underneath him. He went to work on her bra, leaning back to let her shrug it off.

Sakura leaned up after pulling off the piece of clothing and connected their lips again, kissing him deeply and brushing her tongue along his bottom lip. To her surprise he thrust his tongue into her mouth, battling her. He wasn't one to be submissive, she found out. He pushed her back down slowly, taking his time to be careful. He didn't want to hurt her again. Sakura pushed her body against his as he kissed her and slowly kneaded her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers. He gave a gentle tug and was rewarded with a soft whimper from the back of her throat. It was the most enticing sound he'd ever heard, no matter how many times he'd had sex before. Trailing his hand down her body, he unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them down her thighs, watching as she kicked them off, giving him a soft smirk.

Watching her face, he traced soft patterns over her stomach and slowly dipped downwards until he found her clit, rubbing softly. Her eyes clouded with desire and she panted softly, her hand gripping the wrist that wasn't working against her. He pressed harder against the little bundle and she let out a breathy gasp, arching her back. He trailed his hand downward, teasingly, until he slowly slid his middle finger into her, as deeply as he could. He watched her face contort in barely contained pleasure as she arched and moaned a little louder. He didn't care who heard. It was his way at getting back at his family.

He pulled his finger from her and nudged her legs apart, finding a place between them. She watched, in a haze, as he lifted her hips slightly and pushed fluidly into her. His hands tightened on her hips as she let out another breathless moan, her eyes fluttering shut. She felt him lean over her and lean his forehead against hers as he began pulling out. He pushed back into her rather roughly and she moaned loudly, her hands clutching at his arms, trying to find something solid to hold onto.

Gaara began to find his pace, pulling out almost completely before ramming back into her, eliciting the most wonderful sounds. She groaned and dug her fingernails into his skin.

"Gaara, you're teasing," she whined, "Go faster," she pulled him down, her hands now on his upper back as she pulled him into a kiss. Acquiescing to her request, he picked up the pace, ramming into her forcefully, grunts and low growls of pleasure ripping themselves from his throat. Sakura was moaning, louder and louder, until she arched, her mouth open in a silent scream as her muscles clenched around him.

"Fuck," he muttered, thrusting forcefully into her a few more times until he reached his high himself. Leaning his forehead against hers, he breathed deeply, trying to calm himself, before he pulled out of her and fell to the bed beside her. Sakura turned to him and seemed to internally debate with herself before she slid closer to him and laid her head on his chest.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked softly. He was still quite ashamed of himself that he had let his anger control him and he'd ended up hurting her in his anger-fueled desire. Sakura let out a long breath, completely tired after their activities.

"No. Not after..." she trailed off, her hand drifting up to touch the tender deep bite mark on her neck. She knew it would be easy to hide in her hair, at least. Gaara brushed her hand away and jostled her a bit so he could lean down and kiss the wound gently.

"I'm sorry." He was being so gentle and careful of her, back to like she could break in his hands. She'd never heard those two words from his mouth and she knew it took a lot of effort to say.

"It's okay. You needed it," she said softly. She was tired, Gaara knew. He laid back down and pulled her against his body. He was still upset that he'd hurt her, but she already seemed to forgive him. She'd already seemed to forgive him when she instigated intimate contact. He closed his eyes, enjoying the closeness of Sakura's body, though he wouldn't allow himself to sleep like he allowed her. They'd have to go meet his father soon and he didn't need anyone walking in on their naked charade.

"Sleep for now," he said, still quiet, "I'll wake you when it's time to go," Sakura nodded sleepily, too tired to answer, and she was out within moments. Gaara laid there, staring up at his ceiling, mentally berating himself for so thoughtlessly hurting her. He tightened his hold on her, silently vowing himself that he wouldn't let his anger control him like that again, not around Sakura.

Xx

"Sakura," Gaara gently shook the girl still asleep on his chest. She stirred immediately, a few soft moans escaping her as she stretched out some of the tightness in her limbs. Gaara watched her silently, waiting for her to turn her attention to him. "We've got to go soon." Sakura nodded and lifted herself off of him, gathering her clothes from around the floor and pulling them on.

"Sakura?" Gaara still sat on the bed, completely naked.

"Yeah?" she asked, turning her eyes to him as she fixed her bra on her body.

"Why'd you do it?" he was referring to the sex. He didn't deserve such intimacy after he'd hurt her like that. She blinked at him and pulled her shirt on, turning to his small mirror to adjust her hair around the bite mark.

"You wanted to." She threw his blatant, honest words back at him. He started and once again stared at her. He didn't expect that. "Come on, we have to go," she picked up his jeans and boxers from the floor and threw them at him. He stood and pulled them on. Stepping towards her, he stopped her from throwing his shirt at him.

"You aren't angry?" he asked, watching her face worriedly. Sakura stopped. She wasn't angry. Why would she be angry? People were sometimes controlled by fury. Gaara didn't have anything else to take it out on at that moment, she couldn't blame him for turning on her and trying to take what he wanted by force, even if she would give it to him willingly.

"No. I told you, it's okay," she said in a near whisper, her hand rising to touch his face gently. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes. She smiled at him, a heartbroken smile. She was breaking and he was mending. She didn't know what else to do but help him along the way. She knew this was supposed to happen, but she didn't know it would hurt this much.

"We've gotta get going," Gaara said softly, finally taking his shirt from her hands. He threw it over his head, grabbed his keys and headed towards the door. Sakura followed him closely behind, rushing forward to grab his hand. He looked back at her and she smiled timidly at him. He tightened his hold on her hand and they continued down the stairs and out the door without even a word to his sister. He and his father always met at the same restaurant every time.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked from the passenger seat, her curious eyes set on Gaara. He only shrugged. She would see soon enough. He was always irritated and easily annoyed when he had to go meet his father. It usually turned into a screaming match. He pulled up to the somewhat expensive restaurant and waited for Sakura to get out before getting up himself.

"Are you sure you're not angry with me?" he stopped her before she opened the door, grabbing her wrist and turning her attention to him. She'd flinched slightly when he grabbed her wrist and he immediately felt terrible, sliding his hand to hers instead. She smiled at him, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"Just don't let it happen again." He took it as a quiet warning. She would only let something happen once. After that he was done for. He only nodded. "Here," she said suddenly, pulling something out of her pocket. She shoved it into his hand, looking away with a blush on her face. "I know you need it," she muttered. He looked down at the pill and he shoved it back at her.

"I told you I need your help, not more of this," he said bitterly. He didn't want to let her know it took so much effort just to hand that little pill back to her, but the glowing smile he was rewarded with filled his insides with warmth. She nodded to him and then looked at the door. He took a deep breath and opened it, gesturing her inside.

"Oh, Gaara, sir, your father's waiting for you," the hostess was quick to trip over herself upon the moment she saw him and Sakura felt a little embarrassed for her.

"Good." He nodded to the girl and she smiled brightly, openly trying to impress him, and turned, leading the way. Gaara reached for Sakura's hand, his body tense. As they walked through the restaurant, Sakura realized that they were severely under dressed in their jeans and t-shirts. Gaara didn't seem to care that much, though, seeing as he'd probably shown up there several times in the same type of outfit. Sakura shook her head to chase the thoughts away and found herself subconsciously walking closer to him.

"I'll be back to take your order shortly," the girl smiled at him, but Gaara only glowered back. There was a little bit of humor in all of this. She was literally tripping over herself trying to impress him and Gaara didn't even care. Sakura found it somewhat funny and had to stifle a laugh behind her hand. The girl looked over to her and a sour expression filled her features when she saw how Gaara held onto her.

"Hm," Gaara grunted at her, shoving his way into the little room she'd shown them to. At least his father wasn't open to public outbursts. Gaara had blown up at him a few years prior and his father had always booked a private room from then on. He wasn't a stranger to how angry Gaara could become.

"Ah, Gaara," Sakura watched a man bearing a striking resemblance stand and she moved slightly behind Gaara, tugging self-consciously on her hair to make sure it covered the mark he'd left. She knew that Gaara was particularly well off, but she would have never been ready to meet his father. He seemed far more intimidating than his son. "How are your brother and sister?"

"Fine," Gaara nodded to his father and moved towards the small table. He pulled out a chair for Sakura, waiting for her to take it before sitting down himself. He watched his father sit down and cast a curious glance towards the girl, but Gaara wasn't inclined to tell him anything lest he ask. Gaara wasn't one to tell his father anything, really.

"Who's this?"

"I'm Sakura," she smiled openly, trying to keep the mood warmer than Gaara could. Gaara took a sidelong glance at her, his hand finding hers again and his posture relaxed minimally. He always felt more relaxed when she was near and he was touching her. This situation was no different.

"Ah. I thought we would talk in private, Gaara," his father gave him a disapproving glance and Gaara only scowled at him.

"I asked her to come," he said darkly, openly glaring at his father. He knew that his father didn't like disclosing secrets, but he'd never seen Sakura gossip. He trusted Sakura and he didn't care what his father had to say in the first place. His father only nodded, ignoring Sakura. She didn't take it offensively. She sat quietly, offering Gaara strength and reminding him not to lose his temper and let it control him again. Every time he looked down and saw the bruises he'd left reminded him. It sent a spear of shame straight to his chest.

"Well, as you know, I want you to take over the company in two months."

"Yeah," Gaara leaned back in his seat, watching his father suspiciously. He knew a 'but' was coming soon and he was never happy when that came.

"I want you to take it over now."

"What?" Gaara wasn't one for caring about how he said things, but he appeared to get it from his father. His hold tightened on Sakura's hand and, though she didn't utter a sound, he found she'd tensed up from the bruising hold. He took a deep breath, willing his mind to calm and his hold to loosen before saying anything else. "Why?" his voice was the epitome of tightly reigned in emotions and his gaze was dangerous.

"As you know I'm very sick," Sakura found that hard to believe, he seemed to be the picture of good health, "and I might not make it to your graduation." Neither Sakura nor Gaara could find anything in the man's eyes or posture that told them he was lying, but neither could they find anything of understanding or pity. "I know you didn't want this, but the company needs a head and you have to take the stand." Sakura couldn't hear anything in his voice that surmised pity. Her eyes darkened.

"If you knew I didn't want it, then why not give it to someone else?" Gaara spat through his teeth, his posture once again rigid and straight. His hold on Sakura had once again turned bruising, but she willed herself not to flinch this time. She was the only thing helping him keep his barely controlled temper.

"You're the best choice," his father said simply.

"No," Gaara stood, losing his hold on Sakura. Worry began to build in her chest and she wanted to stand, but she didn't know what she would do after that. "The only reason you say that is because Kankorou's too busy being a man-whore and Temari doesn't want anything to do with you." His words were dark, but they rang true. Sakura didn't even see his father flinch. Apparently he knew all of this already.

"You _will_ do this, Gaara," his father stood as well. Sakura could see where Gaara learned his intimidation tactics. Rage, buried in Gaara's chest, began to rise to the surface. Sakura quickly stood and pulled him close to her, whispering in his ear. Gaara only nodded, turning to leave the small room. "Where are you going?"

"We'll be back," Sakura assured him with a sweet smile, running after the redhead. He stood right outside the door when Sakura emerged. She dared not to touch him, worried of his reaction. He stood there, silent for long minutes.

"Gaara—"

"Not you, too," he spat, not even looking at her. "I don't want to hear, out of someone else's mouth, that I should just shut up and go along with what he wants." Sakura paused. She hadn't heard that much come out of Gaara's mouth before. She took a tentative step towards him and he immediately stopped her with a glare.

"I wasn't going to," she said calmly, confidently. Her gaze was sharp. He finally turned his head to stare at her, his mouth slightly open. She took another step forwards, her hand finding his. "I was going to ask you why you don't want to."

"At first...it was okay," he didn't see the need to lie to her. His voice came out rough and low, his temper and amount of anger making it hard to do anything but. "He wanted me to take over when I turned twenty-five, but the time limit went down year after year." At first it was twenty-five, then it was twenty, then it went to straight out of high school and then just now. Gaara felt more anger rise out of him.

"Do you think his illness is true?" she asked softly. She doubted that the man was actually deathly ill. He looked like he was in his early thirties, when she knew he had to be at least forty-five. Gaara only shook his head.

"Never found that out." He felt himself start to calm after the long minutes of having Sakura near. He looked up at her and pulled on her hand. She offered him a shy smile and stepped forward to wrap her arms around him.

"I think you should finish it out," she said softly. She meant high school, he realized. He only nodded.

"I know." He pulled out of her embrace, doing so slowly. He didn't want to let go of her just yet, but he had to straighten this whole thing out with his father. Maybe then he could take Sakura home and spend a few more hours in her arms. He still held onto her hand, knowing she stemmed his anger and made it easier to control for him. He never thought he'd face his father without those pills. He went back into the little room and took his seat, Sakura by his side all the while.

"Have a nice talk?" Gaara bristled. He hated those snide comments.

"Listen," Gaara began, leaving no room for interruptions. Not from his father or Sakura, who sat calmly beside him. "I'm finishing high school. Only then I'll take over." His father opened his mouth to say something, but Gaara silenced him, his hand up. "You originally told me that I would take over when I turned twenty-five. Now you're saying I have to right now. I simply don't agree with it," Sakura was proud of Gaara, she had never heard him say so much before.

"My ailing health—"

"Your health is of no concern to me," Gaara said calmly. "If you die before the two months are up, then I'll take over. However, I will not allow you to control my life when I'm not even old enough to take over." Gaara kept a firm hold on Sakura's hand, showing her how much he really was trying to hold onto his temper. Sakura only held onto him, letting him know she wouldn't go anywhere.

"Well—"

"Are you ready to order yet?" that annoying girl was back. The hostess always annoyed Gaara, mostly because she wouldn't allow another waiter to serve them and so their service often took a longer time than most others. Gaara glared in the direction of the girl, though Sakura wasn't giving her a nice look either. Her eyes were narrowed and her hold on his hand had increased. He had a feeling she didn't like the competition, but the girl annoyed him like nothing else at least.

"The usual." Gaara didn't always have that much a mind for food. His father looked down at the menu and said something, while Sakura just shook her head. Gaara would share with her. He knew she was too tense and embarrassed to order anything, especially in the presence of his father, and so he knew she'd probably just pick a few things off of his plate.

Once the girl finally left, Gaara fixed his eyes on his father. His gaze was sharp and annoyance tangent at being interrupted. Sakura shifted and placed her hand on his leg, squeezing slightly. He calmed under her touch. She seemed to placate even the mildest of annoyances.

"You know I'm not happy with this."

"Then don't be. Hell do I care," he snorted, his eyes still spearing holes through his father. He hated him with everything he had. "If you're this sick, take a vacation or something. You don't even have enough time to come home anyways." That comment seemed to do the trick and his father, who had been about to say something, shut his mouth and rested his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his knuckles.

"Who's this girl?" he nodded to Sakura. Sakura instantly took offense and frowned, her free hand tightening in her lap. Gaara didn't know what to do at this moment. He didn't know how to calm Sakura like she calmed him so easily.

"Sakura," he said it like it was completely obvious.

"I got her name. Who is she?"

"A friend," he said through his teeth. He didn't like showing Sakura off, in the literal sense of it. She wasn't there for him to parade around, she was simply there to help him stem his anger and cool his temper. She pat his leg and he let out a deep sigh. She'd let go of his hand because he was squeezing too hard, at least that's what he believed.

"You never bring anyone with you." Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "Just an observation," he flippantly said. Sakura narrowed her eyes at him, but said nothing. She didn't need a fight with Gaara's father, that was for sure.

"Here's your food!" the girl came in and put their plates in front of them. She didn't even ask if Sakura was sure she wanted anything and instead turned to Gaara, who hadn't even picked up his fork, like his father had. Sakura watched silently, knowing the girl wasn't going to be happy if she didn't leave Gaara alone. She'd removed her hand from his leg, having no want to stem Gaara's temper this time.

"Want something?" Gaara asked, annoyed.

"Oh, I was going to ask how you liked your food, that's all." That girl was still smiling, that big annoying smile. Gaara was feeling his temper slip through his fingers.

"It's fine," he said flatly, not even taking a look down to his food. "Shouldn't you be taking care of something else?" The girl stuttered an apology and quickly left the room. Sakura stifled a giggle through her hand and Gaara looked over at her, the annoyance in his eyes dissipating quickly when he saw she was laughing. "What?" he asked, pushing his plate of food towards her. She stifled a giggle again and reached for her fork.

"She didn't look happy, that's all." Sakura was laughing at his dry humor again.

"Ah," Gaara finally did take a look down at his food and he was relieved that the girl hadn't tried to impress him again and add something he most certainly didn't like. Last time it was strips of some meat he couldn't even identify. He usually went with seafood. If it didn't looked cooked through enough, he always sent it back. They finally learned that he wasn't afraid to be an ass.

His father watched them silently, a quiet judgment in his eyes. He knew that Sakura wasn't just a girl to Gaara. He didn't know if he liked this girl yet. She was interesting, that was true, and Gaara hadn't yet blown his temper, though he knew manically took pills to help stem his emotions. He seemed to be under that high right now, but he couldn't tell anymore whether he was or not. He didn't seem to know his son very well.

"Are you going to marry her?" The question seemed to come right out of the blue and Sakura's smile slid off of her face to be replaced with a deep red blush. Her mouth opened, but sound didn't come out. She was far too shocked and far too embarrassed to find the words to say.

"Maybe," Gaara didn't even bat an eyelash. He didn't seem shocked in the least that his father had asked that. He ate some of the salad he'd gotten along with his main course, not even turning his gaze to his father. "Who cares anyways?" Sakura surmised that Gaara didn't particularly care about marriage. Or girls, for that matter. Sakura had never seen him look at another girl in any other sense than annoyance. Except for her, that is.

"Well, someone has to carry on the company after you're gone." That got Gaara. He spluttered and took a drink from his glass, placing it back on the table to send a sharp look at his father. Who wanted to talk about heirs right now? He didn't even want to talk about the company.

"I have enough time to think about that," he said shortly.

"Well, as far as I know, you've never liked anyone else. I thought you were gay at one point." That particular revelation didn't surprise Gaara in the least. He was fairly certain that his brother and sister thought the same at one point, before Temari found a girl in his bed one morning about two years prior.

"Most people have," Gaara stopped trying to eat at this point. His appetite had pretty much vanished. He pushed his plate to Sakura, giving her a sidelong glance, and turned his attention back to his father. Sakura gave him a silent look and began to eat silently, trying her best to remain a neutral party.

"Do you want to marry her?"

"Hell should I know." Gaara was getting annoyed again. Perhaps it was the way his father was talking about Sakura when she was sitting right beside him and he could address her as well. Maybe it was because his father was trying to make sense of a new relationship that Gaara barely knew that much about as well. He didn't know how to say nicely that he and Sakura had just started out and hell did he know if they were going to make it that far or not.

"Alright. It's time for me to be off. I have to catch a plane to France tonight." Gaara watched his father rise and throw some money down on the table before taking his leave. He had barely touched his food and Gaara wondered why they had to meet at the same restaurant every time if his father didn't even like the menu. He sighed, tired, and hung his head. His father was just too much to deal with.

"Why does he have to go all the way to France?" Sakura asked. Gaara knew she was just being curious and, with an infinite amount of control in his opinion, he willed himself to stay calm and simply answer her. He took a few more moments of silence before turning his gaze to her and giving her an answer.

"He runs a multi-billion international company," he answered simply. Sakura only nodded. She stood, placing her hand on his shoulder and gestured towards the door.

"Time to go?" she asked quietly, hoping that he'd just say yes and they could go. Gaara rose, thrusting his hand into hers. He held on tightly and began for the door. She followed him closely, trying to ignore the prying eyes of the other customers again.

"Where to?" Gaara asked when they found themselves in his car again. Sakura looked at the darkening sky and bit her lip worriedly. She looked over at Gaara, knowing there was still some sort of anger in him.

"Stay the night with me," she said, not looking at him. Her hand, connected with his the moment he'd gotten into the car, tightened around his. She didn't know if he'd say yes or if he was still too ashamed of himself for hurting her. She bit her lip and threw her gaze at him, hoping she wouldn't see something she didn't like in his eyes.

"Sure," he said, pulling his hand from hers and starting the car. He'd wanted to say no. He'd wanted to tell her that he wanted to be alone tonight and being close to him probably wasn't a good idea right now. When she looked at him, straight through all of his flaws and temper problems, he couldn't say no, just like all the other times she'd ever asked anything of him. A glowing smile took up her face and she relaxed in her seat.

Maybe that's why Gaara always said yes to her. Any time he said yes to any of her requests, that same beautiful, glowing smile completely lit up her face. He'd do anything to see that smile. He knew she only smiled like that at him and knowing that made that curious warmth seep into his chest again and he felt calm almost at once, even when he'd had a near-fight with his father.

"Come on in," Sakura smiled at him again as she began to get out of his car. He didn't hesitate to follow her, though the sight of the run down shack she lived in did make him hesitate. He always felt bad that she lived here and he couldn't think of any way to help her and make it easier on the poor girl. Maybe when she turned eighteen she could just move in with him and he could make all of her worries vanish. He didn't like it when she had to go find her mother in a disgusting club.

"Are you sure that your mother doesn't mind?" Gaara asked quietly, watching her unlock the front door.

"What does she know? She's either high or sleeping all the time so it'll be fine." Her mother really didn't care about her. She ignored her and only called when she needed to be bailed out of a hard situation with her drugs and several men that liked to take care of her when she was all drugged up. Gaara detected a sense of bitterness in her voice, but he wasn't sure what to do.

"Alright." Gaara followed her into the shack and watched her lock the door after herself. She led him to her room, but peeked into her mother's room before she did, making sure she was there. The woman was sleeping, as usual, but Sakura was relieved to see that there wasn't anyone else in the bed with her. If there was, Sakura usually threw them out before she went to bed. She didn't like strange people in her house.

"One second," Sakura had led him into her room and shut the door. She pointed over to the bed. "Go ahead and sit down," she said, moving to her closet. Gaara nodded and went to sit down while she rummaged around her closet, pulling out a few things and changing behind the door so Gaara wouldn't see. Gaara chuckled softly, so low she couldn't hear. He'd seen her naked already, he didn't see the reason why she had to hide from him to change. Though when she came out, he felt his heart stop.

She'd pulled on a long t-shirt and shorts that were hidden. He didn't know why, but the sight just stopped him. He watched her walk towards him and he couldn't help but simply stare at her.

"What?"

"I like it."

"Oh," a soft blush covered her face. Gaara pulled himself to the far side of her bed and looked at her expectantly. Sakura smiled, a shy kind of smile and Gaara wondered why. Maybe she simply hadn't had anyone else in her bed before. She sat on the edge of the bed, stretching her arms over her head before laying down. She faced him on her side and smiled, that glowing smile again.

"Thanks," she said, pulling herself closer to him. Gaara stretched his arm out and rested his hand on the middle of her back, gently pushing her. She smiled again and shifted closer to lay her head on his shoulder. She reached down and pulled a soft blanket over them. Once it covered them, she pressed herself against his body and got herself comfortable.

"Thanks for what?" Gaara finally asked. He'd waited for her to get comfortable before speaking because he wanted her close to him.

"I didn't think you'd say yes or even want to," she said softly, already tired. Gaara was quite astonished, again, that she managed to fall asleep so easily. He shifted her and wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her tight against his body. She squeaked at the sudden shift.

"Why would I say no?" he asked. He was feeling tired as well. He couldn't say no to her no matter what, why would he ever be able to say no to her? He yawned and heard Sakura's giggle.

"I don't know," her voice was getting softer. He relaxed his body.

"Sleep."

"You too?"

"We'll find out," he told her softly. She didn't know that it was sometimes hard for him to sleep, but it seemed he would get it tonight. It was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open. Sakura only pushed her face deeper into his shoulder and smiled. She was asleep in moments and Gaara couldn't find the resistance within himself to stay awake either.


	5. Chapter 5

**So I know this took me forever and a day, but look! Long chapter. Perhaps that took me forever and a day :)**

* * *

Gaara slowly moved beneath her, awoken by soft whimpers and how badly her body shook. His mind was clear within a few moments and he took a moment to get used to his surroundings. Sakura shook again. He thought her cold and pulled her closer to his body. She wouldn't stop shaking, though, and she let out soft whimpers at odd intervals.

"Sakura?" He chanced that she was awake and called her name.

"Y-yeah?" It was still dark, so it must be late or very early in the morning, he realized. He didn't like this. Something was wrong with her and he wasn't exactly sure what. She shook again and he turned onto his side, pulling her snugly against his front. Her hands were wrapped around her body and her eyes were squeezed shut.

"What's wrong?" he asked, trying his best to calm her. He rubbed her back in slow circles and made sure she was as close as possible to him. He thought holding her would work the best, it seemed to work when he was upset. He heard a boom of thunder and lightning lit up the room. Sakura squealed and pressed closer to him, her body incredibly tense. "A-are you scared?" he asked, slightly incredulous. The girl that could walk into a seedy bar to retrieve her drugged out mother was scared of thunder?

"Rain isn't nice," she said softly, somewhat muffled by his chest. Worry was blossoming in his chest. She wasn't calming down. Pulling her hands from around her body, he turned on his back again, finding a comfortable place to lay her on his chest. She was slightly stunned by his sudden movement, but another crash of thunder had her whimpering and pressing her tense body into his with a ferocious need. A tear snaked it's way down her cheek.

"Sh, it's not so bad," he said softly. To her, his soft baritone was barely audible over the pounding of the rain. She jumped when she heard the roof start to leak, the water hitting the pot she'd placed underneath it rather loudly. "Sakura, it can't hurt you," he said, shifting himself closer to her ear. He was still quite tired and his mind wasn't working at a hundred percent, but he knew he had to get her to calm down and what he was doing wasn't working so far.

"It's not nice," she whispered, burying her face in his chest. He didn't know what to do. He tried hugging her and holding her close to his body, but the physical comfort didn't seem to work for her. She shivered violently and let out another whimper. They were getting louder, he realized. She was slowly gaining volume and soon she would be drowning out the rain with her screams.

"Please, I want to help," he was beginning to feel desperate and his voice showed it. He didn't know how to make her happy again and it was worrying him into desperation. "Tell me how to help," he said, almost crushing her against his chest. She was shaking, almost imperceptibly, but the fact that she was pressed so snugly against his chest amplified it.

"I don't know! I don't know!" she cried, her voice becoming louder. She was really afraid of the rain, he noticed. He couldn't understand why. Perhaps she only reacted like this to thunderstorms and there was an unlucky occurrence tonight. He sighed, wracking his brain. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his music. Though it was mostly angry music, he knew he had a couple albums of classical music he liked to listen to when he was enjoying a high. Finally finding one, he began playing it, turning the volume on his phone all the way up.

"Here," he said, laying the phone face-down so the sound was magnified. He turned to his side once again, turning her so her back was facing him. He pulled her snugly against his body, locking his strong arms around her. He made sure the phone was near her head. "Just listen to the music, he said quietly. He pressed his full body length against hers and caged her in with his arms.

"I know this music," she said softly, her voice losing that desperate edge from a moment ago. She shifted and pulled Gaara's arm that was under her up and laid her head on it, precariously close to his shoulder. The hold was somewhat uncomfortable, though she could feel every contour of his body and she felt safe.

"Good, then it'll make you happy," he said. His voice came as a surprise to her. She hadn't expected him to be so loud when he was only a breath the moment before. Sakura blinked and heard the rain again, feeling the dread in her body. Gaara growled softly and distracted her, tightening his fingers on her waist. "Listen to the music," he said lowly. She shivered slightly and listened to him, allowing the music to overtake her senses. "That's better," he said, once he'd noticed she'd relaxed.

"Sorry," she whispered. She was feeling calm and warm now, only too aware how warm he was and how he held her. He pulled her infinitely closer to himself and she could feel every contour of his body pressed against hers. She didn't expect him to hold her this way, not ever really. He seemed so scared of everyone's touch, but he pressed against her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"You should go back to sleep," he said, his fingertips brushing against her stomach. "We have to explain to my sister why I didn't go home last night," there was slight humor in his voice, an amused comment. She let out a slight giggle and nodded. Gaara didn't know what to do now. He'd managed to calm her down, but he didn't know how to get her back to sleep. She was still awake, he could tell. Her eyes were half open and she stared at his phone with a half-glazed look.

"Thanks," he felt relieved that she sounded so soft and thick with sleep. He only nodded and let her fall back asleep, though he didn't think he would fall asleep as well. He didn't sleep well to begin with and if he woke up in the night, he didn't usually go back to sleep either. He tried to relax his body and settle himself so he was as comfortable as possible.

Staring at the far wall, he didn't know how he got here. He didn't know how he got so comfortable with Sakura that he willingly pulled her into his arms and willingly calmed her down without a second thought. It didn't make any sense to him. But when did things like this have to make sense? He sighed, closing his eyes, trying his hand at falling asleep.

* * *

"Gaara?" he woke instantly at the sound of her voice. He didn't really have a second thought about it. He looked down at her, noticing she'd turned in his arms and was staring at him, though she still pressed her body against his and she was still tangled in his arms. He turned on his back and brought her with him, earning him several giggles and a little squirming so she could get herself comfortable.

"Yeah?" he said finally, his eyes soft. She had that glowing smile on her face and he liked it being there. He wouldn't really mind if he could just wake up to her every morning this way, her eyes soft and a glowing smile on her face, her weight on his chest. He enjoyed it.

"We overslept," she giggled, her eyes half open. She still seemed extremely tired. Gaara cocked an eyebrow at her, a silent question. "It's around one," she said, laying her head on his chest. It seemed like she was going to go back to sleep, but he knew she wouldn't. She was just waking up and it simply seemed like it took longer for her than it did for him.

"Things happen," he said. She giggled. She pushed herself up, but dropped back down to his chest, giggling. She looked up at him and smiled wider when she saw he had a slight smile on his face as he stared down at her. "What was that?" he couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice, but she didn't seem to mind much.

"I was going to get up, but I'm too tired," she giggled. He shook his head, that slight smile still on his face. He sat up and lifted her, placing her on the edge of the bed. She turned and stared at him, giggling still. He only shook his head at her again and stood, stretching his arms over his head. He was a little stiff from being stuck in one position with her all night, but he didn't mind. He liked having her in his arms like that. It felt nice.

"Too tired still?" he asked, giving her a sidelong glance. She only laughed and stood up, stretching her arms over her head as well. She pushed past him and went to her closet, pulling out a few clothes and some shoes. Gaara sat on the bed and watched her, a mild curiosity in his eyes. He watched her change in front of him now, and he wondered what changed from last night.

As Sakura pulled her shirt over her head, she was distracted by Gaara's hands on her waist. She stopped and blushed, realizing she'd forgotten to change away from him. He moved her hair from the side of her neck and brushed his fingertips over the wound on her neck. She shivered at his touch as he examined it, making sure it wasn't becoming infectious. He didn't think he could live with himself if she got worse. He brushed his lips over it now, barely even touching it. She relaxed in his hands, knowing he was just making sure she was okay.

"Sure you aren't mad?"

"Spend nights like that with me again and I'll never be angry with you," she giggled, though she didn't pull away from him. He wrapped his arms completely around her waist and drew her back against him, hugging her. She didn't expect him to hug her, but it wasn't unwelcome, so she let him, before pushing away and pulling on her clothes.

"I will," Gaara said softly, barely audible. Sakura turned to him, her eyes somewhat comfused.

"Sorry, what? I couldn't hear you," she said, turning to her mirror and brushing her hair before turning to her desk and pulling out some beige bandages. She figured she didn't need to draw any more attention to the wound and so place them on the wound, still hiding it with her hair. She looked in the hair and deemed it okay.

"I'll spend nights with you again," he said, his tone not changing. She smiled at him, her eyes glowing. He sighed, wishing he could say what he really wanted to say. He didn't know how to say it yet. He hated that she lived here. He hated that she had to take care of her mother and those child support checks wouldn't be coming soon because she'd be turning eighteen before long. He didn't know how to say it yet and he wasn't going to say anything until he did.

"Okay. Well, we better go face your sister now, huh?" she smiled at him, a cheerful smile and he only nodded. He followed her out the door and to his car. He watched her lock the door to her home, though he didn't know how much good that would do her. If anyone wanted to break in, all they had to do was climb in one of the broken, boarded up windows that lined the side of the house. Though she didn't have much to steal. He got into the car before him. She watched the house with worried eyes before finally getting into the car with him.

"What do you want to do today?" Gaara asked, barely paying attention to the road. No one was out and about at this time of day, especially not on a Saturday.

"I don't know. Still want to go to a movie?" She asked softly, her mind not really on what he was saying. She was staring out the window, hand under her chin. He spared a glance over at her and he felt his insides warm when he saw her. She was so relaxed and seemed so happy.

"I don't think so," he said, shrugging. He didn't really like movies. He didn't care to sit in a freezing room for three hours and hear annoying people talk in the background and be on their phones. Sakura only nodded and turned back to the window, waiting to get to his home. Gaara pulled up the driveway and got out, waiting for her at the door. She was still in the car, staring out the window. Confused, he walked back to the car and knocked on her window. She jumped and shoved her way out of the car.

"Sorry Gaara. I guess I got lost in a dream," she giggled. He stared at her, worried. He didn't think this was good. Shrugging, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her up the steps to the door. She didn't mind. She leaned slightly against him and bit her lip as he opened the door, worried that his sister might start screaming the moment they came in the house.

"Are you high?!" she was right. Temari came whirling around the corner, her eyes dark and stormy. She came to a sliding halt in front of him, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. She was glaring, her eyes so hard and angry that Sakura flinched.

"He isn't high," she said softly, leaning against his side, trying to hide. She was never one to deal with confrontation well and didn't like fighting with others much. "He was...he was with me," her voice was merely a squeak. Gaara tugged her closer to his body, trying to give her some confidence. His eyes were hard, challenging his sister.

"What were you doing all night?" Since she couldn't get him with the getting high thing, then she could go a different route and get angry that he was out having sex all night with this girl. She still stood offensively, still angry.

"I was going to be out all night anyway," Gaara began, his temper rising. Sakura's hand was on his back now, trying to calm him. He sighed, trying to keep his hold on his temper. "Sakura didn't want me to be alone," he said softly, lowly.

"Dad came by before he left for his flight," Temari seemed to calm down when she found out there wasn't any evidence of drugs on either of them. "He gave me this," she handed him an envelope. She didn't move from in front of him and Gaara expected that she wasn't going to leave before he opened it. He tore it open and turned it over in his hand. A key fell into his palm. He stared at it, confused.

"Um?" Sakura hummed, her voice soft and eyes confused. Gaara shrugged and handed his sister the key before turning back to the envelope and tugging out the sheet of paper that was also in there. He read it quickly and blinked, stunned. He shoved the paper at Temari, still stunned and somewhat shocked and didn't know how to react. He stood stock still as Temari skimmed through it and then handed it to Sakura, who read it quickly through it as well.

"That's cool," Temari finally let out something other than an angry squall. She shrugged. "You should go check it out."

"Come with us," Gaara said immediately. This stunned his sister and he knew why. He never invited her to go anywhere with him and this was a new thing for her. She was used to Gaara spinning out of control and screaming at her about who knows what. "Get Kankorou too," he said, still not moving from in front of the door.

"Oh, um, sure," Temari got into action after she got over her shock and ran up the stairs, calling for Kankorou. Gaara watched without caring much. Sakura's hand was still on his back and his arm was still around her waist. Temari came bustling back down the stairs, his brother in tow. Kankorou looked around and caught sight of the girl mostly hiding behind Gaara and he bounded up to them, pulling her out from behind him.

"So this is the girl that has gotten Gaara to come out of his shell!" Kankorou yelled, his voice loud and it echoed off the walls around them. Sakura was stunned for a moment, realizing that he was probably worse than Naruto. "And she's so beautiful, I mean, look at that hair!" he reached forward to place his hand on her head, but Gaara smacked it away before he could.

"She's mine. Don't even think about it. Let's go," Sakura giggled at his outburst. She knew from him that Kankorou wasn't exactly the most pure man out there and he was feeling justified that he pushed him away before he could even touch her. She followed Gaara out the door, led on by his hand and out to his car, where they all piled in.

"Directions, Temari?" Gaara called from the front seat, already driving towards the highway. This was how they'd always drive, when Temari had been the only one with a license and was too conscientious of trying to not kill her brothers. She would yell at one of them to pull up directions and tell her where to go. Gaara was no different.

"'Kay," Temari said, her phone already out. She typed in the address from the sheet of paper she'd thought to grab on her way out of the house. Gaara knew everyone would be quiet. It was usually a rule of the road in the car. Kankorou was grumbling under his breath. About what, Gaara didn't know. He didn't drown out Temari, though, who was barking directions at Gaara, who followed them sharply and without flaw. Sakura wondered how many times they had to do this until they got it down pat.

"Why do you think dad did this?" Gaara asked as he rounded a corner after the exit on the freeway. He knew he didn't have to make another turn for another couple minutes.

"I don't know. Trying to make you happy so you don't turn down the position for CEO of the company altogether," Temari mused, not looking up from her phone. She shrugged. This was a usual stunt from her father. He knew Gaara could flatout turn down the company and completely disinherit his family and go out on his own. Gaara always knew that too and perhaps that was why he had so much power over his father because his father was completely and totally terrified that Kankorou or Temari would really have to take over the company.

"Probably," Gaara mumbled, turning a corner the moment Temari said it. A few more turns and couple more moments of harsh silence and he parked in front of a tall building. They all sat in the car for a few moments, staring up at that tall, tall building, before they finally, slowly pulled themselves out of the car.

"I can't believe he did this," Kankorou said, trailing behind Sakura and Gaara up towards the front, where they entered a large foyer. Sakura scuttled closer to Gaara, feeling infinitely small in the huge, domed room. Temari was shocked that her father would go so far out of his way to try and make Gaara happy. She hadn't known how very far her father would go to make him happy.

"I can't either," Gaara said, extremely unimpressed. He didn't like that his father did this. He didn't like that there was probably an attachment to this gift and he wasn't looking forward to figure this out. He sighed and ushered his little group to the elevator, where he looked at the sheet of paper to find the floor. He reached forward and pressed the button.

"Long elevator ride," Kankorou commented casually, his hands in his pockets. He seemed somewhat bored. He was happy that his father didn't do this to him, though he was slightly jealous. His father liked to shower gifts on his children when they were angry with him and there was a slight doubt and they wouldn't go along with what he wanted.

"Well it's all the way at the top, Kanky," Temari said, brushing her hair back. She sighed when the doors opened. Gaara went straight towards the door, knowing which one it was. The one with a note on the door. He tore it off before his family could see because he knew it was the condition and he really didn't want them to know about the condition as well. He unlocked the door and allowed his siblings in.

"What's up?" Sakura asked, noticing that he made no move to enter the penthouse. He held up the little note before opening it and reading it. Something flipped in his stomach, but it wasn't as bad as he thought it could be. He shoved it at Sakura and she read it before a bright, red blush appeared on her cheeks.

_Here's a place for you and Sakura._

"Um, what does that mean?" She asked softly, that bright red blush still on her face. Gaara found it a little cute and he couldn't help but wrap his arm around her shoulders.

"Means he knows you control my temper. This isn't for me, it's for you." He felt some sort of relief in his chest. She wouldn't have to live in that dilapidated little shack on the edge of town anymore. He didn't have to bring the subject up with her and try to get her to go along with it.

"Um, what? I can't accept this." She gestured towards the door, her chest tight. She didn't like it. He didn't expect this. He wanted her to. His father wasn't known to take his gifts back. He was a proud man and this would just sit here until Sakura died and the company could finally sell it. Gaara fought to find the words to say to her.

"He won't take it back. He doesn't care if you accept it or not, but he won't just take it back. He's too proud." Gaara had tried before. When his father had a car delivered to the house the morning after one of their infamous fights, Gaara had tried to turn him down and tell him to take it back, but he just denied him and the car sat there for months and months, everything completely paid for, until Gaara just said fuck it and decided to use it. If it was going to sit there he may as well make use of it.

"Oh," Sakura laid a hand on the door and pushed it open from the crack that had been left when Temari and Kankorou had gone in to explore. Just from the entrance she could tell his father was being extremely gratuitous when he decided to give this to her. "Why'd he do this?"

"Think of it as a bribe. You keep me calm, I take over the company. Makes him happy," he said flatly, leading the way into the huge apartment.

"This place is two stories," Temari said from the kitchen, her eyes wide. "What the hell happened last night for father to give this to you? Like, you must have either gotten really angry or made him really happy," she was going for the 'he got really angry' one because Gaara wasn't known to be able to control his temper.

"It was Sakura," he said, flatly again. "She helped me keep my temper in check and he noticed. He gave this to her." So Sakura made the siblings' father happy, that was it. Temari knew her father got incredibly generous when someone made him happy like that. Temari only laughed and shook her head.

"Well, that's not weird at all then." Sakura looked confused.

"Our father likes to be kept happy. Gaara not screaming at him makes him happy. You made Gaara not scream at him. He gave you something so you'll keep Gaara not screaming at him," Kankorou, who had been leaning on the spiral staircase, said. He shrugged and cocked an eyebrow. "He probably would have gotten him a new car or something if he did scream at him. Nothing like this."

"Oh," Sakura said softly.

"Probably thinks it's better than where you live," Temari said flippantly, turning around to grab a glass out of a cabinet and drink some water.

"He's right," Gaara said. Sakura went to bat him upside the head, but he moved away from her at the last moment. He shrugged. "It's true." She only shook her head, but Gaara didn't miss the sad look in her eyes. They didn't talk about where she lived for a reason and he knew that, but he couldn't help but say what he did.

"It's fine," she finally said, softly, somewhat hurt. She stayed close to him, looking at the apartment from the safety of his side. Huge windows took up an entire side of the apartment, letting in so much light she could barely believe it. On the far side, doors took up the wall instead, leading out to a concrete patio, where a few chairs and a small table were.

The entire space was furnished with furniture that she had never had the money to afford. Hell, she could barely afford a quarter of one of the couches in the room. She stepped forward and faltered, wanting to go up the stairs and see what it was like, but she was slightly afraid to go without Gaara. He noticed her falter and he stepped forward, grabbing her hand. He led her towards the stairs and up, brushing past Kankorou along the way.

"Why didn't you want to go alone?" he asked, not knowing why. He would have waited for her downstairs with his siblings.

"I feel safer with you," she said softly, still standing on the landing of the second story. "I can't believe your father really gave me this," she was breathless. It was a loft, a banister on one side for protection, and four doors on the other side. She opened each one. Three bedrooms, one bathroom, completely furnished. The last door on the left was a large master bedroom and a king-sized bed right in the center. She blinked.

"This is huge," she said softly, looking all around the room. Opposite the bed were large glass windows, another door leading out to another balcony. There was one lounge chair and a small table out there. Stepping back, she closed the door. She was still processing that his father had been so impressed with her that he'd given her such an impressive gift. Gaara only shrugged.

"You should have looked in the closet. No doubt he's had it filled by stylists. He'll probably want you to meet him again so there's probably a lot of clothes you won't even need," Gaara said. He wanted to smile. He was used to his father's misplaced generosity, but this girl wasn't. He wasn't even sure she was still going to accept the gift.

"But..." Sakura looked down, away from him. "I don't..."

"Don't what?" he wanted her to take this. He wanted to come here with her and have this be theirs. He'd wanted to take her away from that poor, poor house the moment he'd found out it was hers. He didn't like it and he wanted the best for her. This was far more than just 'the best,' but what did it really matter? His father unknowlingly helped him, perhaps helped him for the first time in his life.

"I don't want my mother to know," she said softly. "I know that's bad," she tore away from his side and pushed her hands into her hair, beginning to become panicky. "I know I'm being selfish and all, but I don't think I want her to be here."

Gaara chuckled. She stared up at him, astonished. She'd never heard Gaara laugh or anything of the like before and it stunned her. He looked down at her, barely shown affection hiding in his eyes. He reached forward and pulled her back to his side. He didn't know much about comfort and he didn't know much about how to make her feel better about this entire situation, but he felt just being there might help her a bit.

"It's for me and you, Sakura. Think of it as a very, very early wedding present," Gaara said, his voice amused. "He'll want you to move in here as soon as possible, if not now, then when you turn eighteen."

"I'm already eighteen," Sakura said softly, staring down over the banister of the loft. Gaara looked over at her, confused. Why would her father still send child support checks if she was already eighteen. She closed her eyes and sighed, a deep breath escaping her body. She didn't want to say this to Gaara, not now. "My birthday was two weeks ago," she whispered, slightly upset. "I don't get the checks anymore and my mother's been depleting what I saved up."

"Then come here," he said flatly, not knowing what the problem was.

"But my mother..." she whispered. She didn't want to leave her mother to her own devices, knowing about her destructive issues. She'd be dead within a week. She did care about her mother, quite a lot, but she couldn't just leave her.

"One second," Gaara said, pulling out his phone. He dialed his father's number. He stepped away from Sakura and into one of the bedrooms. She ignored it, staring out over the banister to the windows on the far wall. She looked out into the city and didn't know how to feel about it. She didn't know how to feel abandoning her mother like this and she didn't know how she felt accepting this gift in the first place. She didn't like it, not one bit. She couldn't just say no, though, just as Gaara had explained.

"Okay," he shocked her when he shut the door. She whirled around to face him, surprised. "He was very pleased that you liked the place. He's given you another apartment, for your mother. It's on the third level. I'll get the key from the front desk when we leave," he said. Sakura felt a huge relief run through her system. She wouldn't be leaving her mother to fend for herself in that terrible shack.

"Thanks," she said softly.

"She has to pay the utilities and buy her own food, though," Gaara said. "Because I'll technically be living here, this will be paid for by the company. Along with the fact that, because he likes you he would have done that anyways." Sakura only nodded, blushing. She didn't know how to wrap her head around the fact that she was going to live with Gaara. Gaara didn't even seem to want to be around her when they met, but Gaara was okay with moving in with her now. She was feeling more secure that she would be able to save him now.

"She does have her own job. It just doesn't keep up with the drug abuse," she said softly, still staring out the windows. She bit her lip and Gaara reached forward to brush his fingertips over her back. She sighed, enjoying the gentle touch. She didn't know what this would mean for her and her mother, but she knew that it wouldn't ever be the same again.

"It's okay," he said. "Take it." He searched frantically for the words to say that would make her understand. He didn't ask for this, but he wanted to say something to make it okay. "I've been...wanting to get you out of that shack for weeks," he said, not looking over at her. He stared out the windows with her.

"What?" she wasn't necessarily surprised, more like she didn't know why he didn't want her to be there anymore.

"I care," he said simply. "I don't like that you live there. You should be here," he said, reaching over to grab her hand and squeeze, trying to show her the emotions he couldn't yet put words to. He couldn't yet even try to describe or make out in his own mind. She looked over to his hand on top of hers and smiled. His heart stopped. It wasn't her glowing smile that made him feel so warm inside. It was a torn, heartbroken smile that stopped his heart and turned his insides to ice. He didn't know what to do to turn that smile into the one he wanted, the one that he always wanted to be pointed in his direction. "What's wrong?"

"You shouldn't care this much," she said softly, her hand still under his. There was some sort of relief in his heart that she hadn't. She seemed to pulling away from him now and he wasn't so sure he knew how to react or how to make it all okay again. This all just seemed to make him confused and frustrated and it made him feel terrible. He wished he knew what to do, he really did. Being a social pariah wasn't working so well for him anymore, he realized.

"Who cares? I'm happy it worked." It was true. He was happy that his father had done this. He was happy that his father worked it out for her mother too. He was happy that she seemed to be wrapping her head around the fact that he was going to live with her now. "Now I'll spend all the nights with you," he whispered. He didn't know what made him say it, but his mind didn't really dwell on it before it was out of his mouth.

"What?" Sakura didn't think she heard him right. There was a blush on her cheeks again. He knew she heard him, was just slightly surprised. He smiled slightly at her and she smiled as well. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning forward to kiss him. He reciprocated, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist, drawing her closer to him, and closing the distance between their mouths.

"I love a good porn, but I don't really like watching my brother," Kankorou called from below them. Sakura pulled away from him, turning to look down at his brother and stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh yeah, baby, that's how I like it," Kankorou winked and Gaara gave him a sharp glare. He shoved his hands up in a surrender gesture.

"Anyways Gaara, we like your new place," Temari said, from the kitchen.

"There's room here for you two as well if you ever find yourself in the area," Sakura said, smiling. Temari and Kankorou looked endlessly pleased that she so willingly invited them to stay the night whenever they pleased.

"You know, father's probably got more maids for this apartment than for our own house," Temari laughed, looking around. "I mean, think of how many people he needs to clean those windows," she giggled again, her face turning a bright pink. Sakura laughed with her. "Do you know what a nice party we could have in here?!" Temari wanted to have a party here, she was already planning things in her head, but she knew Gaara would never let her do it.

"Do it."

"W-what?" Temari was astonished. Gaara wasn't ever a person for parties, no matter how quiet and pleasant they happened to be. Gaara shrugged.

"Sakura would enjoy it." He was putting it off on Sakura. She didn't really care about parties, but she knew Gaara wanted to make his sister happy and this seemed to be the way to do it. She looked at him, that knowing look in her eyes and he just shrugged, returning the affectionate gaze. Temari didn't seem to notice what was going on between the two, she was just so excited that Gaara was allowing her this.

"Okay! Well, I need to go get planning!" She began to run towards the door, planning to have the entire thing ready by about eight that night. Gaara knew. She wasn't going to have a party tomorrow or next week. Their friends were used to how impulsive she was and she knew they would all come. Sakura only shook her head. Temari came back, looking sheepish. "I, um, don't have a car. I just realized." She blushed.

"Here," Gaara tossed his keys to her. She caught them one-handed. "Take Kankorou with you. Bring two cars back tonight," Temari only squealed and grabbed Kankorou's hand, pulling him out the door.

"Why, Gaara, why?!" Kankorou called as he was pulled out the door, his wailing cut off when the elevator door shut. Sakura giggled, standing beside him. Gaara turned to her and pulled her against his body, a smirk on his face. He was just trying to get his siblings out of their hair.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked, her lips extremely close to his. Gaara only smirked again and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her hard. She whimpered, not expecting the kiss.

"I think we need to christen that new room," he said, that smirk still on his face. Sakura's face lit up and she pulled away from him, grasping his hand and pulling him forcefully to the room at the far left and tugged him inside. Gaara slammed the door behind him and pulled her against him, kissing her hard, his mouth unrelenting against hers.

"That's not very nice you know," Sakura whispered, her voice harsh, after he bit her lip. He only smirked at her again and kissed her again, pulling her body against his, molding every contour to his. He was enjoying this immensely. Sakura thrust her arms around his neck and thrust her hands into his hair, tugging the thick red locks. She felt a growl in the back of his throat and he pulled away from her, pushing her towards the large bed. Sakura went willingly, grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him down on top of her.

"That's not very nice you know," Gaara said, teasing her. Sakura blushed and giggled, pulling on his shirt again to kiss him, biting his lip and smoothing her tongue over it. He pushed his tongue against hers, not willing to open his mouth to hers, willing himself to be the dominant one in this, just as he always is. Sakura only let out a giggle through their kiss, swallowed by him in the next moment.

Gaara went to work on pulling her shirt over her head and attacking her neck. He stayed far away from the wound, hidden by the bandages that matched her skin almost perfectly. He caressed that side of her neck gently as he kissed, nipped, and sucked. Sakura's hands were in his hair again, tugging him closer and letting out soft, soft whimpers. He didn't know why she enjoyed this so much, but he liked how responsive she was to his ministrations.

Tucking his hands around her, he went for the clasp of her bra. She arched her back, trying to help him, make it easier. She still tugged him closer, her fingers going from tugging on his hair to pulling him closer. He liked this. He liked how urgent she was being. She wasn't being gentle or inexperienced, but rough and wanting. Different from the day before.

Finally, he managed to get that damned contraption off of her and he threw it to the floor, not really caring where it landed. He had a feeling he'd lead her into the closet after this little interaction and she'd see how really generous his father was. His hand drifted to her breast and he cupped it, brushing his thumb over her nipped. A soft whimper escaped her throat and he pinched it now, pulling gently. His mouth made its way to her chest and he captured her other nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue over the swiftly hardening bud. Another whimper escaped her.

Gaara left her nipple, trailing his mouth over to the other, his hand already on the one he'd left. Sakura squirmed, the air hitting her wet nipple shooting warmth straight to her stomach. He pushed her body down with his, efficiently stopping the movements she made, and his mouth clamped down on her other nipple, giving it a rough suck. He heard another whimper at this and he did it again, only to have her fingers in his hair again, pulling him closer. He liked this. She was responding so well to his touch. She finally managed to pull him up and she pushed him down on his back, giving him a sharp look.

He stared up at her, his eyes amused. She thought she had the control now. She leaned down and kissed him, her hands at the hem of his shirt. She pushed her hands underneath it, her fingertips ghosting over his stomach and up to his chest. He was enjoying her touch, that was for sure. He growled into her mouth and pushed her off of him, tugging his shirt off his torso. He pulled her back against him, into his lap. He attacked her neck again, his hands already working on her jeans.

He tugged on the button and it came apart easily, his hand pushing into her jeans, pushing them down slightly to get easier access. His other hand was on her breasts again, teasing her nipples and making her moan softly and whimper aloud. He was enjoying her noises. He sunk his teeth into her neck, only biting enough to leave a mark, but not draw blood. He wasn't going to hurt her like that again. She whimpered loudly, enjoying the move. She didn't mind it rough, but he'd been too rough the day before. He smirked against her neck and thrust his hand deeper into her pants, finding her little nub easily enough. He rubbed in circles, his pressure hard. She squirmed and moaned, her hips pushing against his hands.

"That's not allowed," he whispered, his hand moving from her chest to wrap tightly around her waist. She tried squirming again, but his hold was strong and she whimpered, his hands driving her inside. "Come on," he growled softly into her ear, his hand moving to plunge a finger into her. She moaned louder, throwing her head back against his shoulder.

"F-fuck," she whimpered, her breathing harsh. Her waist was still being held against him and she couldn't move at all. It was driving her absolutely crazy and her moans grew louder and louder until she let out a wail, her hips moving against his to no avail as she came all over his hand. He pulled his hand out of her jeans and smirked at her, spinning her around and pushing her back into the bed.

Taking advantage of her dazed state, he pulled her jeans off her legs and tugged his off as well, leaning down to kiss her again. She responded slowly, still slightly dazed by her orgasm and he just smirked against her lips, enjoying the reactions he was getting out of her. She grazed her fingertips over his body and drifted lower until she grasped his hardness, pumping him slowly.

He let out a soft groan, barely audible. Sakura lifted her hips, lining him with her entrance. Gaara understood what she wanted and surged forward. She let out a hoarse gasp. Gaara pulled off of her slightly and leaned on his right elbow, leaning over her as he slowly pushed into her, watching her reactions. He liked this. Her face contorted in pleasure; eyes squeezed shut and she let out an endless stream of whimpers and moans.

He watched her hands drift up around his neck and she clutched at his shoulders, her eyes opening to hold his. Sighing, he decided to stop teasing her and pulled out of her, turning her over. This was his favorite. He liked having the advantage over her. Sakura didn't seem to mind at all, hoisting herself into position, his hands already on her hips. He guided her back against him.

Sakura sighed as she felt him push into her, though he didn't like that he could barely hear her and so pushed harder against her. A loud, surprised moan escaped her and she felt herself lurch forward into the pillows. She dug her fingers into them, clutching them as hard as she could as Gaara kept pounding into her. His grip on her hips increased as well as his speed, driving whines and cries from her lips. He loved those noises and couldn't get enough of them.

"Oh come on," she whined, waiting for him to finish. He was driving her crazy, keeping such a pace that she could barely keep up. He surged forwards several more times until he felt himself close. His fingers dug into her skin, surely leaving bruises as he finally came. As he pulled out of her, Sakura fell into a heap. She curled up in a little ball, wrapping her arms tightly around her stomach.

"Did I hurt you?" Gaara asked softly, falling beside her and wrapped his arms around her, dragging her body against him. Sakura only shook her head, not trusting her voice to put out anything but a hoarse whisper. Gaara laid with her quietly, comfortably.

"I just feel like jelly," she giggled softly. Gaara let out a low, soft chuckle and was rewarded with her glowing smile. He reveled in the feeling of her soft, naked body pressed against his. He thought he could never get used to this feeling. The feeling of completeness and how sated he felt, curled up with this girl in this huge huge bed. "How do you feel?" she said quietly, almost like she was afraid to ask.

Gaara struggled on the word for a moment, trying to make it come to his lips. He knew what he was and he wanted to tell her, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it. She waited patiently, almost like she knew it took him a moment to wrap his head around that simple, simple word. Sighing, he finally let the word out.

"Happy."

"I'm glad," Sakura didn't falter for a moment on her words. Gaara was slightly astonished and slightly pleased that she didn't stop for a moment in her words to him. He hugged her close to him and she giggled again. He enjoyed the smile. "What time is it? I don't think I want to be caught naked with you," she turned a soft pink, her giggle nervous now. She liked his siblings just fine, but she wasn't particularly keen on them seeing her in absolutely nothing, caught up in a pretty intimate position with their brother.

"Oh, you don't want my siblings to walk in on us?" Gaara asked, humor in his voice. "It would finally make them stop asking me if I was gay." He was kidding, of course. They knew he wasn't gay, after that particular day his sister walked in on him and that random girl in his bed. He felt kind of bad that he couldn't even remember the girl's name, but what could that matter now? The only girl he liked thinking about was Sakura. "It's around six-thirty," he knew his sister would surely be back in about half an hour, so he was quite upset that their moment couldn't last longer.

"That means?"

"We gotta get up."

"Sad."

"Agreed." Sakura giggled again and began to pull herself away from him. He sighed and got up as well. She began pulling her clothes off of the floor, preparing to tug them back on and make herself seem a little more presentable instead of I-just-had-sex-with-your-little-brother.

"Wait," he stood and grabbed the clothes from her, tossing them onto the bed. "Come on." he grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the closet, which he knew was probably a rather large one. He opened the door and gestured inside. Sakura gave him a confused look and slowly entered, blinking as he flipped the switch and the light came on.

"My father wouldn't give you a fully furnished house without fully furnishing your closet as well," Gaara said flatly, thoroughly unimpressed with his father. Sakura looked at the lines of clothes and she turned to stare at him, her mouth slightly open. He liked that look on her face. He figured maybe, once he could find out a few more things about her, he should find new gifts for her just to see that look on his face.

"Really?" she stepped forwards and sorted through a couple things. There were casual things, dressy things, and to top it off, extremely formal attire that she was quite surprised to see. She blinked and turned to Gaara, a question in her eyes.

"He knows I'm attached to you," he shrugged, "I believe he gave them to you so you can dress appropriately for his functions."

"Does your father really like me that much?" Sakura asked in a breathless whisper, knowing that a wardrobe like this cost a few thousand dollars, if not a few hundred thousand. She knew his father could afford it because his company was one of the largest in the entire world, but she never expected that his favor would fall on her.

"The first thing he asked when I called was if you liked your new home," Gaara answered, stepping forward to wrap his arms around her waist. "I suppose it's not a bad thing, but if I don't marry you, he will," Gaara meant it as a joke, but Sakura's face twisted in disdain and he couldn't help but let out that short, soft chuckle again. Sakura only blushed deeper and shook her head in earnest, trying to get the idea of his father trying to marry her out of her head.

"I hope you get there before he does," she said softly, her voice thoughtful. Gaara only hummed and turned away from her, going back into the room to tug on his clothes. His father didn't give him anything, mostly because he had the male version of the closet at his home, though he never wore any of it. He mostly bought his own clothes. By the time he finished pulling his clothes back on, Sakura had come back from the closet. He turned and smiled that slight smile the moment he saw her.

"You look..." the words got stuck in his throat. He didn't know what to say now. He knew what he wanted to say, but he couldn't put the words to it. He tugged her to his body and kissed her on the mouth, kissing her deeply. She squealed and blushed hard, barely registering through her shock to kiss him back.

"Obviously I look good," she giggled, still slightly stunned that he'd done that so out of the blue. She looked down, thinking she looked completely different from her baggy jeans and shirts that were slightly too big on her. The jeans she wore now hugged her hips and thighs, the v-neck accentuating her curves rather nicely. She wondered how his father found out what size she was and what would look good on her.

"Gaara, we're back!" they heard Temari's voice all the way down the stairs and Sakura jumped away from Gaara, almost like she was burned. She blushed and giggled, giving him an apologetic look. He gave her a questionable stare right back and she only shook her head before answering his stare.

"She surprised me, oh my goodness," she giggled, still slightly breathless. She shook her head and grabbed his hand, pulling him forcefully out of the huge bedroom. She stood at the banister and stared down at Gaara's siblings, laden with several bags almost overflowing with things she could barely identify.

"What were you guys doing up there?" Temari asked, a smile on her face.

"Having sex," Gaara said flatly, much to Sakura's chagrin. She blushed crimson red and spluttered, though no words actually came out of her mouth. Temari was slightly shocked, but only shrugged and turned back to the bags she'd laid on the counter.

"See Temari, I told you. He just wanted us out so he could claim the bed," Kankorou drawled, walking in the door, his car keys swinging on his forefinger. Gaara had that slight smile on his face and Sakura figured he simply liked to tell them the blatant truth and see the aftermath unfold before him.

"Whatever, just start texting everyone," she said, annoyed. Kankorou only nodded, grabbing his phone and dragging the door to the balcony open, going to call and text everyone in a secluded place. Sakura ran down the stairs and hopped up in front of Temari, her eyes lighting up in excitement. She wasn't expecting to be this excited about a party in the house her boyfriend's father had given her, but she couldn't really complain all that much.

"Need any help?" she asked, her voice brimming in excitement. Gaara only rolled his eyes and flopped on the couch, turning on the television. He didn't care for planning, he just hoped that his sister would simply be happy that he was allowing her to throw this party and physically be there.

"Sure. We should move the dining table up against the windows and put all the food on it. That should really be all. Sakura went to begin moving the table, pushing it up against the wall as best she could. She went back to the kitchen and opened all the cupboards, locating a few large bowls and some large plates as well. She didn't like the thought of having bags of chips and such all over the place and simply rather toss the bowls in the washer and be done with it.

"We'll order some pizza later," Temari said, pulling something else from the bags. Gaara didn't even want to know what she was planning to put up this time. She liked themed parties and didn't waste a chance to torture him and his brother with more themes and things they didn't want to be tortured with. It was something she was probably going to hold over them for the rest of their lives.

"Ok," Sakura tossed everything on the table, not really caring what went on and what didn't, knowing Temari would probably get through all of it by the end of the night. She placed the drinks on the opposite side of the food, making sure there were plenty of cups to go along with it. She plopped down on the couch along with Gaara once she was done, leaning into his side, not really tuning into what he was watching.

"Alright, Temari, everyone's been called, texted, and emailed or social networked. They all said they'd be here sooner or later," Kankorou huffed, flopping down next to Sakura like what he'd had to do was the hardest job in the entire world. Sakura only giggled at him and placed her head on Gaara's shoulder. Gaara didn't pay any mind, only wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him, not wanting Kankorou's grabby hands to get the better of him.

"Why didn't you leave the balcony doors open?" Temari said from her place up the stairs, hanging something from the banister. For the first time since she'd sat down, Sakura took a look around the apartment, noticing that Temari had spent the better part of the last hour just hanging up decorative things. They didn't have much theme to them (to which the male siblings were extremely relieved), but it did make the place seem a little more entertaining.

"Oh, sorry sis. I didn't know I had to be a mind reader too," Kankorou grumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothin' sis," Kankorou got up and pushed the doors open, letting the warm air into the place.

Sakura sighed and pushed herself slightly closer to Gaara, finding the air breezing in through the open doors a bit chilly. Gaara looked down at her and pulled her snugly against his side, to which she was only too happy to comply with. She was looking forward to having the place full for the night, but she was sure that Gaara would never, ever allow this again. She was somewhat okay with that. She liked the quiet.

"They should be showing up soon," Temari sat next to Kankorou. "God, what are you guys watching?! This is disgusting!" Temari reached over the others and pulled the remote from beside Gaara to change the channel.

"Sorry, what?" Sakura said. She hadn't even been paying attention to what was on, she had just been kind of zoning out, leaning against Gaara.

"You guys were watching some Jack the ripper show. Ugh. I thought having another girl around meant we could keep better watch on these things," Temari was grumbling. Kankorou looked vaguely uninterested and Gaara wasn't even paying attention period. He didn't care what Temari put on, as long as it wasn't another one of those wedding dress shows. He didn't know what it was about those shows, but they made him want to go out and commit mass homicide.

"I wasn't really paying attention, sorry," Sakura said, looking back to see that she'd put on some law and order show. She didn't really care anyways. She leaned against Gaara again, feeling particularly tired after their interesting time in the master bedroom. He pulled her against his body again, tucking her into the crook of his body. He was trying to communicate that it was okay if she wanted to nap.

"Is she tired?" Temari asked, not wanting to wake Sakura if she miraculously fell asleep within the past few moments.

"I suppose. Why don't you wake us up in about an hour," Gaara didn't wait for an answer as he hopped off the couch and bent down to pull Sakura into his arms. She was quite tired, that was true. He felt a little sheepish. He probably shouldn't have tired her out this much. He maneuvered the staircase slowly, a bit harder he realized than a usual staircase.

"Alright, I'll make sure Naruto doesn't bug you guys until then."

"Don't let him wake us up."

"Yeah, we'll send Nara," Kankorou said, tossing his hand in the air. He didn't care much for Naruto's volume either. Gaara nodded down at them and pushed open the door of their previously used room. Sakura was so tired, he realized. He felt completely and totally terrible that he'd tired her out this much.

"It's okay," Sakura said softly. "I always need a little nap after sex. Your siblings came back at the wrong time, that's all," Gaara nodded at her, questioning how she could possibly just seem to know exactly what he was thinking. He laid her on the bed and pulled himself in as well. "You don't have to stay, you know," she said, her voice a little whisper. He merely didn't answer her, only pulled her against his body.

"I said I'll spend many nights with you. Naps included," he said. She smiled, still that glowing smile. He'd said the right thing and he was completely and totally pleased that he had. He gave her that slight smile that she was growing used to seeing. Sakura shifted her body, turning on her side and pulling a pillow towards her to place it under her cheek. Gaara shifted closer to her body, pressing his body to hers and finding a comfortable place for his arms.

"Nara will wake us up around nine or so," Gaara said, hearing the distant buzz that meant his sister's first guests were arriving. It was quiet up here, he realized. It was probably almost soundproof. That's how his father liked his homes. He liked them quiet and cool. Gaara found that it was the only trait he and his father shared. Sakura blinked and nodded slowly, her eyes becoming heavily laden with sleep.

"Okay," her voice was barely audible. Gaara brushed his fingertips over her waist, over and over, until her breathing grew slow and he knew she was asleep.

* * *

"Hey Gaara," Shikamaru poked his head through the door, letting in the noise of loud music and a whole bunch of people talking. It instantly woke Gaara, who turned to Shikamaru.

"Thanks, Nara," he said, sitting up. Shikamaru was slightly astonished that Gaara hadn't simply ignored him or silently nodded at him like he usually would. He only nodded back at him and left the room, closing the door behind him. Gaara turned to Sakura and lightly nudged her. She mumbled under breath and slowly blinked, her eyes cloudy with sleep. He couldn't help but chuckle slightly. He'd forgotten she took forever to wake up.

"Hi," she said softly after she turned on her back, gazing up at him, her eyes rather hazy. He leaned down to kiss her and she kissed back gently, still not awake enough to reciprocate completely. He pulled back from her and got off the bed, watching her slowly get up. She walked around the bed and slid her hand into his, waiting for him to lead the way to the noise right outside their door.

"Oh, hey guys, Gaara and Sakura finally decided to join us," Temari said, her arms crossed over her chest. Gaara raised his nonexistent eyebrow at her and she scoffed, turning away to talk to a few people behind her. Sakura closely followed him down the stairs. She was still so very sleepy and hid against his side, hoping no one would talk to her until she could actually get some coffee into her system and wake up a bit.

"Gaara, this place is amazing!" Naruto bounded up to him, shouting over the loud music. "I can't believe you're letting us have a party here!" He caught sight of Sakura, who had been successfully hiding. "Oh, Sakura! I didn't even know you were here!" He reached out and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her out from behind Gaara. She held onto Gaara as long as she could.

"Naruto," Gaara pushed his hand around Sakura's waist, "I'd be glad if you'd let her go." At the dangerous look in Gaara's eyes, Naruto let her go, throwing his hands up in a surrender gesture. "She needs coffee before you go blowing her ears off," he said, leading Sakura away.

"Okay, see you later Sakura!" Naruto called, bounding off to annoy someone else. Gaara got her to the kitchen without too much trouble and reached into the fridge, pulling out a chilled cappuccino he often bought from the store. He handed it to her and she downed at least half of it in one gulp, hoping it had more caffeine in it than she thought it did.

"Do you usually drink coffee in the morning?" Gaara asked, leaning against the counter behind him. Sakura stood next to him, her elbows planted on the countertop. She took another drink and nodded, turning her mischievous eyes to Gaara.

"I wake up slow. I thought you knew that already," she giggled. Gaara only nodded. Sakura looked over the people. It seemed that Gaara's siblings had the same friends she did. The entire group was there, along with a few faces she didn't know. Gaara looked over to Temari and gestured, hoping she'd get the hint. Temari rolled her eyes, but she went to join the two anyways.

"What's up?" she asked, leaning with Gaara against the counter, crossing her arms.

"Want to introduce Sakura to our other friends?" Gaara didn't really talk to them, that much was true, but they still checked up on him from time to time, especially when Temari was away for awhile, so he supposed that, in a way, they were friends.

"Oh, sure!" Temari had been sure that he had been going to say that it was too loud in there or something of the like. Sakura, who had woken up a bit, didn't mind this time when Temari grabbed her wrist and pulled her off into the maelstrom of people. She just hoped that she could keep all the names of the new people straight.

"'Kay, well first off, this is Pein and his girlfriend, Konan," Temari pulled her to a stop in front of two rather intimidating people. Pein had so many piercings, Sakura didn't even try to count them and Konan just seemed like she was more introverted than anything else. They stood in a corner, watching but not joining. She had a feeling that they were there because they felt obligated to be.

"Hi," Pein said shortly, nodding at her. Sakura only smiled and nodded back. She was used to this because Gaara was literally his clone. At least, in the personality division.

"Hey," Sakura greeted. Konan only smiled at her, a soft pink blush on her cheeks. She shifted slightly closer to Pein.

"They don't go anywhere without each other," Temari explained. "They run a company that partners with our fathers. They always join us when we have a party." Sakura wondered why. They didn't seem like they were enjoying themselves that much.

"We like the scene," Konan said. Obviously she was Pein's voice for the entire thing. Sakura smiled, knowing how it went. She was usually Gaara's voice as well. "We'll talk to anyone that comes up to us, but we prefer just watching."

"I think I'll see you later then," Sakura smiled openly. She liked this girl with the blue hair. It was interesting. She liked being in the background too, and she slightly hoped that she could talk with Konan more. Especially because she wanted to know what that flower in her hair was made out of. Konan only smiled and nodded. Pein looked into her eyes and nodded as well, showing that he wouldn't mind either. Before she could say anything else, Temari was pulling her off again.

"I don't think I've seen Pein warm up to anyone that fast, even with Konan around," Temari laughed as she dragged the pink haired girl elsewhere. "He usually never actually notices when Konan's talking."

"Must be the pink hair," Sakura giggled, coming to a slamming halt in another corner of the room, where a tall, sinister man was standing. He watched her with cool calculating eyes, though he didn't seem particularly mean or angry. He regarded her with an air of silent inquiry. She smiled openly at him and he gave her a slight smile back, something she was particularly used to.

"This is Sasuke's brother, Itachi."

"Oh? Where is Sasuke anyways?" Sakura took a cursory glance around the room, expecting to see his ridiculous hairstyle somewhere among the other partygoers.

"He doesn't associate himself with parties, even if they're thrown by our partners and good friends," Itachi said, his voice clearly stating how disappointed he was with his little brother. Though he was mostly there because he felt obligated to go, Temari's parties weren't the worst. Everyone knew everyone else and they got along quite well together. He'd probably go and approach Hinata and Naruto later and ask how school's been going.

"That's not nice," Sakura said softly, looking slightly downcast. "I thought he was my friend."

"He just likes to be a self-proclaimed loner. Why do you think he doesn't get the company?" Itachi had slight amusement in his voice. Although it was dark, Sakura could see the irony in the comment and she let a small smile crack her lips. Itachi returned the slight smile with one of his own.

"Well, let it be known I'll be around even if my brother isn't. Now, I must go find Kisame. He doesn't need to eat all the cheetos on me again," Sakura couldn't help but giggle into her hand as he walked away, mumbling and trying to find his friend. She just couldn't believe something like that came out of someone's mouth. Especially someone who seemed so proper and polite. She thought Itachi was nice, though.

"Remember that if you ever need someone to help you out, Itachi's the one to call. He's a really good friend," Temari said, watching him go. There was something in her eyes that Sakura didn't want to question. Temari shook her head. "There's some more people to meet," Temari said, beginning to pull her off into a random direction again.

She pulled Sakura into a group of people and Sakura looked at the confusing faces, her mind blank. Shikamaru and someone who looked remarkably like Hinata were included in this group. She smiled at Shikamaru, who yawned back at her.

"So you already know Shika. That's Neji, Hinata's cousin, next to him, and Sasori and Deidara. Don't get Sasori and Deidara started on art," the last part was whispered into her ear and Sakura logged it away for later, realizing that she was warned for a reason. Neji nodded at her, and Sakura realized that most of the males in this room were the anti-social introvert type and Sakura wondered how Temari managed to get them all out of their houses.

"Hey! Sasuke said something about you!" Deidara said, offering her a bright smile. Sakura only smiled back at him, not knowing what to do with that piece of information. Sasori watched the look on her face and nudged Deidara in the ribs.

"What did he say, dumbass?" he asked him flatly, eying Sakura. He shrugged. He liked her. She seemed quiet and not too annoying. She'd fit in perfectly with the rest of them, though Naruto and Kisame were a wonder. How they managed to get into the "We're all crazy introverted" club, he'll never know.

"Oh! Sorry," Deidara scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "He said you're pretty brave. Specially 'cause you're dating Gaara. Gaara can be scary you know," the rest of them nodded their heads, agreeing with the statement. Sakura looked kind of hurt at that comment and she couldn't help but say something.

"I think he's just a little messed up and needs some help, that's all," she said softly, in a high, confused voice. She sounded so naive to them, but they couldn't judge. Whoever could deal with Gaara and not set off his temper they had to be proud of.

"Well, you do seem to be helping him," Shikamaru said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I woke him up earlier and he didn't give me a glare good enough to kill me," it was how Gaara usually reacted at whoever woke him up. Kill the guy and go back to sleep. "He even said thanks. Never thought Gaara would say that."

"I'd say that's a good thing," Sasori said, shaking his head. "What does it matter? At least he isn't ignoring his feelings anymore."

"True," Neji said quietly. Sakura only shrugged. She knew what effect she had on Gaara and she intended to keep it that way.

"He won't explode in a psychotic rampage and kill us all now," Deidara said. He seemed a little nervous to let out that particular thought, but it was what he truly believed. He was sure that, if Gaara kept bottling up all his rage and hatred and general emotions along with that, he'd eventually break and create mass homicide.

"At least we have that," Temari mumbled. "Anyways, we got a few more people to meet, we'll see you guys later," and Sakura was dragged off again, back into the crowd and back to finding more new people to meet and greet. She hadn't really expected to have to meet everyone under the sun that night, but she couldn't really complain. She was finding that she was actually enjoying herself.

"And this is Kiba and Kisame." Temari plopped down on the couch next to the two boys, though she knew she'd have to get up. There was still one more person Sakura had to meet and he was probably out on the balcony. He liked the open air a lot more than being inside. Sakura only sat down on the coffee table, across from the two males. They regarded her with open smile, Kisame's almost like a shark's.

"You're gorgeous," Kisame said, his eyes roaming her body. Sakura blushed and opened her mouth, ready to say something.

"Don't even try, Kisame, she's Gaara's," Temari said, giving him a sharp glare. Kiba's mouth had been open to say something, but he shut his mouth, obviously thinking better. Kisame only laughed. He shook his head.

"It was only a compliment."

"I don't think Gaara would see it that way," she warned. She didn't like it when Gaara got angry, and this would definitely make him angry. Kisame shut his mouth. He only stared at Sakura's face now, along with Kiba, who watched her with a mild fascination.

"Well, since I didn't make a compliment at the first moment you sat down, I hope we can actually become friends," Kiba said, sticking his tongue out. Sakura only giggled, that light blush still on her face. She didn't really mind. A compliment was a compliment, but she knew what Temari meant. If Gaara had been able to hear Kisame, she was sure Gaara would have been there in half a second, a dangerous glare on his face.

"Well, thanks," Sakura giggled. Kiba smiled at her, pleased that he could make her laugh.

"Well, we've got one more person to meet," Temari said. She popped up off the couch and pulled Sakura up as well, leading her to the balcony. There was only one person out there and Sakura had a feeling that was the last person she had to meet. "He's out there. He gets really nervous around more than one person, so you have to go alone. His name's Tobi," Temari left her by the doors and she stared out to see a young man, his face covered by a mask, as he stared over the lit up city.

"Um, hi. Tobi, right?" Sakura asked, a deep blush on her face. She didn't know what to say. He turned to her and nodded.

"Why don't you come join Tobi?" he asked, gesturing to the place beside him. She wondered briefly why he talked in the third person, but she just shook her head and went to join him, leaning on the railing and looking over the city.

"My name's Sakura."

"Tobi knows. Gaara told Tobi. Tobi knows you helped Gaara stop the pills," Tobi said, watching the city below him. "Tobi thinks it's good that Gaara stopped taking pills. Gaara needs to be happy!" He made no move to turn towards Sakura, look her in the eyes or anything, he just simply told her what he wanted to and kept staring at the city.

"I think the same," Sakura said. "Why are you out here?" she wanted to know why he didn't like too many other people around him and she tried phrasing it in the best way so he wouldn't be offended. He stared downwards for a few moments before answering her.

"Tobi is like Gaara. Tobi prefers to be alone because things happened to Tobi that makes Tobi nervous around a lot of people. Gaara is usually Tobi's companion." So Sakura met Gaara's only friend. Well, before her. She wondered why Tobi never managed to get Gaara to stop the pills, but that was okay. She was there now.

"Well that's okay. I'm glad to meet Gaara's friend," she smiled and gently placed her hand over his. Tobi looked down, and, though she couldn't see, he smiled. Most people were afraid to upset him and so didn't touch him. She didn't seem to care, though. She seemed so nice and caring and he was very happy that Gaara had become very attached to her.

"And Tobi is glad to meet Gaara's girlfriend too. Tobi hopes you are happy with Gaara." Sakura only smiled.

"I'll see you later okay?" she waved a goodbye and left the balcony, not waiting and not hearing the young man's response. She couldn't be around him anymore. It was like he looked right through her and knew what she was. It was a terrifying feeling and she hated it.

A while later, she stood on the balcony again. Tobi had gone, no longer able to be outside due to the fact it had gotten colder as time wore on and unable to be around the massive crowd indoors. She leaned on the railing and looked over the glistening lights. She wasn't really thinking or anything, just enjoying the fresh air. She jumped when she felt a warm touch on her arm.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Itachi was in front her, when Sakura was sure that it would have been Gaara. She didn't really know how to react to Itachi in front of her. "I called your name and asked if I could join you, but you didn't answer," he said. There was a touch of worry in his polite voice and she found she didn't remotely mind that he touched her without her permission. She pulled away all the same, afraid that Gaara would see and wouldn't be happy about it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just zone out sometimes," she said, turning back to the scenery. Itachi leaned against the railing, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't particularly mind the cold, this was just the most comfortable way to stand for him.

"You must think we're crazy," he let out a short chuckle. "We aren't outgoing or loud or even have raucous parties. It's just an introvert convention where everyone gets along and doesn't push boundaries," most people would think it weird. Naruto had to go to quite a few of their parties before he finally figured out that they didn't dance or get drunk, they just listened to music and talked to whomever wanted to.

"I mean, you have to share something with your friends, right? I like it. Means if I don't want to talk and if I just wanted to stand here with you and zone out, you would let me," Sakura had a positive note in her voice and Itachi found he liked it. He figured that's why Gaara got so attached to her. She was so positive and seemed quite strong to stand up to him and make him want to change his ways. That thought reminded him why he'd gone to seek her out in the first place.

"So, I've noticed that Gaara's stopped popping pills," Itachi said, quite softly. This wasn't a subject he particularly wanted to approach, not with someone he barely knew, over someone that was obviously very close to her. Sakura blinked and looked up at him, her eyes searching his for something he knew she wouldn't find. His eyes were always kept carefully blank.

"Yeah."

"How did you do it?" he allowed the curiosity into his voice. They'd tried everything from rehab to therapy to try and help Gaara, but he never improved. They'd lost all hope a very long time ago and let him get on destroying himself. It had never sat right with him that they'd just given up on him and simply gotten on with their lives, dealing with his diluted anger and serious highs.

"He had to want to change. If you just shove someone in rehab, it won't work unless they want to get clean. We got into a huge fight and he broke down. When he broke down he finally realized he didn't want to be perpetually high anymore. That's pretty much all that happened," she said, her voice level and calm. She hadn't told anyone that had happened that day in that little park. "I actually drove him crazy first and completely ignored him for three weeks because I thought I annoyed him."

"That's just Gaara. Emotions are just too much work for him."

"They were. Now he's trying to really do it. And I'm just here to help," Sakura said. She smiled up at Itachi and he quirked his mouth up in that slight smile as well.

"Sasuke does it too. He's ashamed and hides it but I found it in his bathroom one day," it was no secret that Gaara had never cared who saw or who cared and who didn't. He just went on being his destructive self. Perhaps he was being rebellious or perhaps he simply got to the stage where everyone knew anyway so he didn't see the reason to hide it anymore. Sasuke wasn't yet at that point. Itachi was worried that point would come along sooner rather than later for his little brother.

"Did you want me to do something about that too?" Sakura asked softly. Gaara was already such a huge project, she didn't know if she could take on another, or even if she was allowed to help someone else. Gaara was her objective and until the day passed that his destiny proclaimed he would kill himself, she had to keep her full attention on him. She had no time for others who weren't at the point where they wanted to kill themselves yet.

"I need you to help me help him," Itachi said, keeping his tone light. "He trusts me, I don't know if he's ever learned to trust anyone else. Hence the reason he isn't here with us," he said. Sakura's heart filled with warmth and she turned to him, reaching to brush her fingertips along his arm. Itachi turned and grasped her fingers with his, looking for some sort of comfort from someone who knew the weight that held his heart down.

"You just have to make him realize that he's destroying himself. If you stop talking to him, he'll go and seek you out. Hopefully blow up on you and speak his mind. If you show him that you stopped talking to him because he's destroying himself and that you care too much for him to watch him fall into that, then hopefully he'll listen," Sakura said softly, gently. Itachi's eyes were pensive, thoughtful.

"Sasuke has been one to blow up on me when I haven't shown him enough attention," he said. It was true that Sasuke went to him when he wanted the attention that their mother and father didn't seem to know how to give. If Itachi was away for too long when Sasuke was little, he would run into his big brother's arms and cry that he'd missed him. "What if it doesn't work?"

"Then you come back to me and we'll try another strategy," Sakura was quite relieved that Itachi hadn't asked her to deal with Sasuke personally. She wasn't so sure that Gaara would like it if she spent time with Sasuke. Gaara seemed particularly jealous of other guys and Sakura had a feeling it was because he didn't know what it was yet.

"What's going on?" Speaking of Gaara, he stood at the entrance of the balcony, eying the two's intertwined hands. There was a stormy look in his eyes and Sakura was afraid that there might be some tough consequences for this. Itachi retracted his hand and turned to Sakura, nodding to her.

"Thank you for the advice, Sakura. I'll be sure to tell you how it goes," he brushed past Gaara, murmuring an apology in the redhead's ear. He seemed to calm minimally and went to stand beside Sakura now, having gone to find her because he'd become lonely without her glued to his side. He hadn't really partaken in conversation, mostly because Sakura wasn't with him, but he'd thought she was enjoying herself, so he'd put off finding her.

"Sorry, he just needed some help with someone who has a drug problem of their own."

"I know about Sasuke."

"Oh. How?"

"We used to get high together," he said flatly, he finally came up to Sakura and pressed his front to her back, wrapping his arms around her waist and looking over the lit city with her. She seemed thoughtful and he didn't interrupt her.

"He was asking me how I got you to stop."

"I don't want to disappoint you."

"What?" that had come completely out of the blue. She turned around in his arms, her hands now at his chest. She leaned back against the railing and he followed her movements, their bodies still pressed together. She was feeling warmer than a moment ago, somewhat protected from the chilly wind now. "What do you mean?" she didn't get it.

"I don't want you to leave me because I kept getting high." That was the reason he didn't take the pill from her the night before, she realized. That was the reason he hadn't asked her for pills the moment she'd taken them from him. And that was the reason the little orange bottle she'd given him still lay, untouched, on his dresser. He'd left them there the day before and hadn't even grabbed them when they rushed out the door to meet his father.

"That's...sweet," she said, her glowing smile on her face again. She never thought she'd call Gaara sweet, but here she was. The sky was now officially turning purple. It'd taken her a moment to find the word she'd wanted, but he didn't seem to be disappointed in the words she'd chosen, but rather pleased instead.

"Thank you," he said, planting a kiss on her cheek. It was becoming so, so much easier to talk to this girl. He knew he could unleash his blatant honesty on her and she wouldn't take it to heart, almost like she was completely incapable of doing so. It warmed his insides and he cursed himself. He really needed to find a word for that feeling.

"Well," Sakura peered around his shoulder into the apartment. "Looks like everyone left. I set Temari and Kankorou up in the guest bedrooms. Would you like to come to bed with me now?" She'd already known she wasn't going back to that dilapidated shack until the next day to collect her mother and toss her in the apartment Gaara's father had so graciously given her.

"Of course," Gaara said. He was feeling tired after having so many people in his home. He didn't regret having the introvert convention at his house that night, even if he was a little more introverted than the others and couldn't talk to the others. He'd wandered from group to group, new ones forming all the time, listening in on conversations and answering questions when he was asked, but not knowing what to say when he hadn't been.

"Good, because I'm tired!" Sakura said, leading the way back into the house. He watched her turn off the radio and toss the remaining dishes in the sink before turning off all the lights. He figured this was more routine for her than anything else and she finally came back to him after all her little things were done.

"One second," Gaara locked the glass doors to the balcony and then went to the entrance of the apartment, locking that door as well and entering the security code into the keypad. Sakura watched him do it and she was happy that she wouldn't wake up to half the furnishings gone.

"Ready now?" she giggled. He only nodded and lead her up the stairs in the semi-darkness, turning off the last night as they reached the landing. He held on tightly to her hand as he led her to their room. Sakura flopped on the bed the moment he'd opened the door.

"Hey, get on some pajamas," Gaara lightly scolded, his slight smile on his face. Sakura only giggled and got back off, stalking off to the closet after throwing him a look. He only rolled his eyes and stripped to his boxers. His clothes weren't here yet and that was okay with him. He found sleeping in his boxers did just as well.

"Will this do?" Sakura asked, emerging from the closet. She wore a matching set of silk pajamas. They were loose fitting and they seemed rather comfortable. She flopped down on the bed, patting the space beside her. He only shook his head and slid in beside her.

"Thank you," he said softly, pulling her close to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and curled her body around his, quickly on her way to sleep, knowing he would be along a few more moments after her.

"For what?" she asked, her voice heavy with sleep. She yawned loudly.

"Being here," he said gently. She only giggled and nodded. They didn't say anymore as they began to sleep off the night's events.


End file.
